The 2026 California gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of California. The nonpartisan top-two primary election will take place on June 2, 2026. Incumbent Democratic governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and ineligible for election to a third term.
As of November 2025, over two dozen candidates have declared campaigns, and the field is expected to grow. Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006 and have not held statewide office since 2011. According to Wikipedia, the following have jumped into the race.
Democratic Party
The following have declared:
- Ethan Agarwal, tech entrepreneur
- Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025) and former Attorney General of California (2017–2021)
- Carolina Buhler, UCLA student
- Ian Calderon, former majority leader of the California Assembly (2016–2020) from the 57th district (2012–2020)
- Zoltan Istvan, founder of the Transhumanist Party, Libertarian candidate for governor in 2018, and Republican candidate for president in 2020
- Thunder Parley, software engineer
- Katie Porter, former U.S. representative from California’s 47th congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024
- Raji Rab, pilot and perennial candidate
- Tom Steyer, founder of Farallon Capital and candidate for president in 2020
- Eric Swalwell, U.S. representative from California’s 14th congressional district (2013–present) and candidate for president in 2020
- Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction (2019–present)
- Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles (2005–2013) and candidate for governor in 2018
- Betty Yee, California Democratic Party vice chair (2021–present) and former California State Controller (2015–2023)
Republican Party
The following have declared:
- Ché Ahn, pastor
- Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner (2019–present)
- Sophia Brink, legislative aide to San Mateo County supervisor David Canepa
- Sharifah Hardie, business consultant
- Steve Hilton, political commentator and former adviser to UK prime minister David Cameron (2010–2012)
- Brandon Jones, marketing agency founder
- Kyle Langford, construction manager
- Daniel Mercuri, author, candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022, and candidate for California’s 25th congressional district in 2020
- Jimmy Parker, former judge
- David Serpa, real estate business owner and runner-up for California’s 39th congressional district in 2024
- Leo Zacky, vice president of Zacky Farms and candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022
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