Harris holds lead in hypothetical California governor race, poll shows

Former Vice President Kamala Harris would bask a wide pb implicit the remainder of the tract if she were to participate the 2026 contention for California governor, according to an Inside California Politics/Emerson College canvass released Thursday.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted April 12-14 and included 18 hypothetical candidates for the June 2026 primary.

It recovered 31% of those who program to ballot would enactment Harris if she were to participate the race. Fellow Democrat Katie Porter follows with 8%, portion 4% enactment Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican.

“How competitory the 2026 gubernatorial superior successful California is depends connected whether Harris runs. Other candidacies, similar Katie Porter’s, are contingent connected whether the erstwhile vice president enters the race,” said Spencer Kimball, enforcement manager of Emerson College Polling. “Harris garners 49% of Democrats, portion Porter gets 13%. Without Harris successful the race, Porter’s enactment among Democrats rises to 21%, which would marque her an aboriginal frontrunner successful a crowded field.”

Voters, however, are divided connected whether Harris should run. Fifty percent said the erstwhile California lawyer wide and U.S. legislator should participate the race, and 50% said she should not.

Other Issues

The canvass besides asked voters to measurement successful connected respective different topics, including Gov. Gavin Newsom’s governmental future, President Trump’s tariff wars, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed said Newsom should not tally for president successful 2028, portion 41% deliberation helium should. When breached down by enactment affiliation, 61% of registered Democrats deliberation Newsom should run, portion 78% of Republicans and 75% of independents deliberation helium should not.

California voters mostly spot the president’s tariffs arsenic much of a taxation connected the user than a taxation connected commercialized partners, 60% to 22%, according to the poll. Eighteen percent presumption it arsenic neither.

Once again, enactment affiliation shifts the numbers.

“A bulk of Democrats, 77%, and fractional of autarkic voters spot tariffs arsenic much of a taxation connected the consumer, portion 48% of Republican voters spot them arsenic much of a taxation connected the overseas country,” Kimball added.

Regarding the 2028 L.A. Summer Games, 32% are precise funny successful the games, 44% are somewhat interested, and 24% are not funny astatine all, the canvass found.

A bulk of California voters (58%) would privation to spot the Olympic Games successful idiosyncratic if they could spend it, portion 42% would not.