California
California Governor 2026
Safe DPrimaryOpen Seat
A crowded open-seat jungle primary after Newsom's term limit. Porter and Steyer lead the Democratic field after Swalwell's exit, while Republicans Hilton and Bianco compete for a top-two spot.
Steve Hilton
Former Fox News host, tech entrepreneur
18.8%
Xavier Becerra
Former HHS Secretary, former CA Attorney General
15.8%
Tom Steyer
Billionaire investor, climate activist
15.3%
Chad Bianco
Riverside County Sheriff
12.3%
Katie Porter
Former U.S. Representative, consumer advocate
9.4%
Matt Mahan
Mayor of San Jose
6.7%
Antonio Villaraigosa
Former Mayor of Los Angeles
3.0%
Betty Yee
Former State Controller
2.0%
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
1.2%
Mark Zacky
Business executive
1.0%
Polling
Polling Average
Polling average as of May 16, 2026 · updated 10 days ago
Recent Polls(64)
| Pop | Hilton | Becerra | Steyer | Swalwell | Bianco | Porter | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-16 | Evitarus** | 1,200 | LV | 22% | 22% | 15% | — | 11% | 6% |
| 2026-05-13 | Emerson College | 1,000 | LV | 17% | 19% | 17% | — | 11% | 10% |
| 2026-05-10 | Emerson | 1,000 | LV | 17% | 19% | 17% | — | 11% | 10% |
| 2026-05-10 | Kreate Strategies | 900 | RV | 22% | 20% | 14% | — | 13% | 9% |
| 2026-05-09 | Kreate Strategies** | 900 | LV | 22% | 20% | 14% | — | 13% | 9% |
| 2026-05-06 | Mellman Group** | 600 | LV | 20% | 20% | 12% | — | 14% | — |
| 2026-05-03 | Impact Research** | 900 | LV | 23% | 23% | 14% | — | 11% | 9% |
| 2026-05-01 | KGTV-TV/SurveyUSA | 991 | LV | 20% | 10% | 18% | — | 12% | 8% |
| 2026-05-01 | SurveyUSA | 991 | LV | 20% | 10% | 18% | — | 12% | 8% |
| 2026-04-30 | Gudelunas Strategies | 800 | LV | 23% | 24% | 15% | — | 13% | 10% |
| 2026-04-28 | EMC Research | 1,000 | LV | 20% | 21% | 17% | — | 15% | 8% |
| 2026-04-27 | CBS News | 1,479 | LV | 16% | 13% | 15% | — | 10% | 9% |
| 2026-04-27 | CBS / YouGov | 1,421 | LV | 16% | 13% | 15% | — | 10% | 9% |
| 2026-04-27 | Gudelunas Strategies** | 800 | LV | 23% | 24% | 15% | — | 13% | 10% |
| 2026-04-26 | EMC Research** | 1,000 | LV | 20% | 21% | 17% | — | 14% | 8% |
Showing 15 most recent of 64 polls.
Prediction Markets
Timeline
- Dem panic
- Bianco enters
- Hilton enters