Who is running for California governor? See list of candidates for 2026 election

Former Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement Wednesday that she volition not tally for California governor adjacent twelvemonth has near the contention wide unfastened without a wide frontrunner. For the past 8 years, Gavin Newsom has served arsenic governor, and with his 2nd word up, 2026 presents an accidental for a caller look to pb the state.

There's a ample tract moving of Republicans and Democrats, which includes immoderate well-known figures successful the state, but galore who voters are not acquainted with.

Democrats:

Katie Porter

Porter is simply a erstwhile congresswoman from Orange County who served successful Washington, D.C. from 2019 to 2025, leaving to tally for Senate and losing successful the superior to Adam Schiff. Porter has a agelong vocation arsenic a instrumentality prof and is simply a tenured prof astatine UCI's instrumentality school.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Antonio Villaraigosa served arsenic Los Angeles Mayor from 2005 to 2013. Villaraigosa besides served arsenic co-chair of Hillary Clinton's 2008 statesmanlike run and seat of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Villaraigosa ran for politician backmost successful 2018, the twelvemonth Newsom was elected.

Xavier Becerra

Becerra served arsenic the Secretary of Health and Human Services nether President Biden -- the archetypal Latino successful that role. Becerra besides served arsenic California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021, and earlier that was successful Congress.

Toni Atkins

Atkins is simply a longtime California typical who served arsenic the President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate from 2018 to 2024. Atkins besides served arsenic the talker of the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2016.

Betty Yee

Yee served arsenic California's State Controller from 2015 to 2023 and was connected the authorities committee of equalization from 2004 to 2015.

Stephen Cloobeck

Cloobeck is an American businessman who founded Diamond Resorts, a timeshare company. Cloobeck has agelong donated to Democratic causes. He besides appeared connected the TV amusement Undercover Boss.

Tony Thurmond

Thurmond is California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Thurmond served successful the authorities assembly from 2014 to 2018.

Republicans:

Chad Bianco

Bianco has served arsenic the Riverside County Sheriff since 2019 and is simply a well-known fig successful the instrumentality enforcement community.

Steve Hilton

Hilton is simply a erstwhile Fox News big and a vocal protagonist of President Trump. Hilton inactive contributes to Fox News. He is British and became a U.S. national successful 2021.

Green Party:

Butch Ware

Ware is an subordinate prof and besides a hip-hop artist. War was a vice statesmanlike nominee for the Green Party successful 2024.