Governor of California
✦ AI Race Summary
California's first open-seat governor's race since 2018 and the most fragmented Democratic primary in a generation. Sixty-one candidates filed; six credible Democrats are splitting the vote while two well-funded Republicans consolidate theirs. The realistic question on June 2 is which Democrat — if any — joins a Republican in the November runoff. Affordability, housing, homelessness, and the state's insurance and energy markets are the dominant issues.
Candidates · sorted by endorsements
Tech-CEO-turned-mayor; previously CEO of civic-tech company Brigade. As mayor of San Jose he has cut the city's unsheltered homelessness roughly 23% from 2019 levels while the rest of California moved the wrong direction; San Jose was named America's safest big city during his term. Opposes new state taxes, supports a temporary gas-tax suspension, and built his housing record on permitting reform and impact-fee reductions.
BAJC-Action · Endorsed
Hindu United Vote · Endorsed
United Democratic Club · Endorsed
Govern For California · Endorsed
Association for the Advancement of Asians · Endorsed
Former adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron and former Fox News host. Proposes suspending environmental rules to cut gas prices and lowering middle-class income taxes. Endorsed by former President Trump.
Mayor of Los Angeles 2005–2013 and former Speaker of the California Assembly. Third gubernatorial run (also ran in 2018). Positions himself as the moderate Democrat — skeptical of some climate regulations, open to oil and gas as a transition fuel.
Former Biden HHS Secretary (2021–2025) and former California Attorney General (2017–2021); previously a 12-term U.S. Representative from Los Angeles. Proposes freezing utility and insurance rates, revisiting the state's climate timeline on affordability grounds, and faster permitting for large infrastructure. Currently leading several primary polls.
UC Irvine law professor and former three-term U.S. Representative (CA-45/47), known for whiteboard hearings on consumer protection and corporate accountability. Platform: cut middle-income taxes, raise corporate taxes, push denser urban housing. Lost the 2024 U.S. Senate primary to Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey.
Hedge-fund founder (Farallon Capital) turned climate activist; ran briefly for U.S. president in 2020. Wants to break up utility monopolies, raise commercial property taxes, and impose a tax on AI usage. Self-funding a substantial portion of his campaign.
Two-term California Superintendent of Public Instruction and former Assemblymember. Supports a one-time billionaire asset tax and a substantial increase in affordable-housing funding.
Two-term Riverside County Sheriff. Wants to suspend major environmental regulations, overturn California's sanctuary laws, and eliminate state income and gas taxes. Has consolidated GOP base support.
Withdrew
Six-term U.S. Representative for the East Bay, member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. Late entrant to the gubernatorial field; runs on national-security credentials and consumer protection.