California governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this California federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Xavier Becerra

Party: Democrat

Tom Steyer

Party: Democrat

Katie Porter

Party: Democrat

Eric Swalwell

Party: Democrat

Chad Bianco

Party: Republican

Steve Hilton

Party: Republican

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governor

California governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
safe d— Cook Political Report; Sabato's Crystal Ball

California is heavily Democratic, with Republicans not winning statewide races since 2006. However, a fragmented Democratic primary with 8+ candidates could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election, which would be unprecedented in the state's recent history and could shift electoral dynamics significantly.

Xavier BecerraD
Tom SteyerD
Katie PorterD
Eric SwalwellD
Chad BiancoR
Steve HiltonR

Summary

Xavier Becerra is a 67-year-old Democrat who served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021-2025 under President Biden, making him the first Latino in that role. He previously served as California Attorney General (2017-2021) and in the U.S. House of Representatives for 24 years (1993-2017). Born in Sacramento to immigrant parents (father in construction, mother in clerical work), Becerra is the first in his family to earn a college degree. He announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign on April 2, 2025, positioning himself as a proven 'fighter' against Trump.

Tom Steyer is a 68-year-old billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and environmental activist. He founded and built Farallon Capital, a major hedge fund, before leaving in 2012 to focus on political activism and philanthropy. Steyer founded NextGen America to empower young voters and has spent hundreds of millions on Democratic causes, climate initiatives, and ballot measures. He ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Steyer entered the 2026 California gubernatorial race in November 2025 with a focus on affordability and corporate accountability.

Katie Porter is a 52-year-old Democratic former U.S. Representative who served California's 45th and 47th congressional districts (2019-2025). A consumer protection attorney and Yale/Harvard Law graduate, she gained national prominence for her fierce questioning of corporate leaders during congressional hearings and her use of whiteboards as visual aids. She is a single mother of three raising her children in Irvine, California. After an unsuccessful 2024 Senate run, she entered the 2026 gubernatorial race but lost momentum after viral videos of her angrily confronting staff and avoiding reporter questions.

Eric Swalwell is a 45-year-old Democratic congressman representing California's 14th Congressional District (East Bay) since 2013. Born in Iowa and raised in Dublin, California, he is a former Alameda County prosecutor who has built his national profile as a fierce Trump critic, serving as an impeachment manager in Trump's second impeachment trial. Swalwell announced his gubernatorial campaign on Jimmy Kimmel Live in November 2025 and has surged in polling to become a top-tier Democratic candidate.

Chad Bianco is a 58-year-old Republican politician and Riverside County Sheriff. Born in Utah in 1967, he moved to California in 1989 and worked in law enforcement for 26 years before being elected Sheriff of Riverside County in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Bianco brands himself as a 'law and order' candidate and has become the lead Republican voice in the gubernatorial race, consistently polling in the top tier of candidates.

Steve Hilton is a 56-year-old conservative political commentator and former Fox News host. Born in London, England to Hungarian immigrant parents, he served as director of strategy for British Prime Minister David Cameron from 2010-2012 before moving to California in 2012. He hosted The Next Revolution on Fox News from 2017-2023 and is a co-founder of Crowdpac. Hilton launched his gubernatorial campaign in April 2025 with a focus on affordability and cutting what he sees as excessive government spending.

View Xavier Becerra's Full Profile →View Tom Steyer's Full Profile →View Katie Porter's Full Profile →View Eric Swalwell's Full Profile →View Chad Bianco's Full Profile →View Steve Hilton's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Healthcare
  • Expand healthcare access and lower prescription drug costs
Housing
  • Build more affordable housing and treat it as essential infrastructure
Other
  • Protect reproductive freedom and voting rights
Immigration
  • Protect immigrant communities from deportation
Economy
  • Lower costs for families on insurance, childcare, groceries
Housing
  • Launch the largest housing drive in California history
Economy
  • Lower electric bills by 25%
  • Make corporations pay their fair share in taxes
Other
  • Ban corporate PAC money from state elections
Education
  • Make preschool and community college free
Economy
  • Hold corporations accountable and fix the affordability crisis
Housing
  • Build more housing to invest in future generations
Other
  • Fight Trump and protect California values
Other
  • Be California's 'fighter and protector' against Trump administration
  • Modernize state government
Economy
  • Bring prices down and lift wages up
Economy
  • Address affordability, housing, and public safety
  • Loosen business regulations
Immigration
  • Overturn California's sanctuary law
Economy
  • Reduce gas prices to $3 per gallon
  • Cut electricity bills in half
  • Make first $100,000 of income tax-free
Public Safety
  • Enforce law and order
Other
  • End one-party Democratic rule

Key Issue Positions

Healthcare
Healthcare expert and advocate for expansion
Helped shape Affordable Care Act in Congress; defended ACA as Attorney General; expanded HHS coverage as HHS Secretary; negotiated lower drug prices
Fighting Trump
Seasoned litigator with record of suing Trump administration
Sued Trump administration 122 times as Attorney General; defended DACA, ACA, and other protections; now positions as having 'beaten Trump in court'
Affordable housing
Will treat housing as essential infrastructure and enforce state law
Promises to guarantee no hardworking Californian on verge of homelessness will lose their home; use attorney general authority to enforce housing policies
Affordability
Billionaire positioning as outsider taking on corporations to lower costs
Central campaign message: 'Californians deserve a life they can afford' but corporate interests are preventing this
Climate and environment
Strong environmental activist with 15+ years fighting Big Oil
Founded NextGen Climate (now NextGen America); spent millions on environmental ballot measures
Corporate power
Anti-corporate establishment positioning
Frames himself as willing to 'change up the system' and take on corporate monopolies
Corporate accountability
Strong progressive on corporate power and wealth inequality
Built national reputation questioning corporate leaders; supports aggressive taxation and regulation of corporations
Housing
Supports using federal government investment and strong anti-Wall Street measures
Blamed 'Wall Street' for housing crisis during 2024 Senate campaign; supports federal housing investment, Section 8 vouchers, low-income housing tax credits
Immigration
Anti-ICE, pro-immigrant rights
Voted to condemn ICE; attacked Swalwell for voting to thank ICE
Opposition to Trump
Frontline critic and litigant against Trump administration
Describes himself as 'the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade' with ongoing January 6 lawsuit
Affordability
Addresses cost of living for working families
Campaign focuses on bringing prices down and lifting wages
Immigration
Mixed record under scrutiny
Voted to thank ICE officers as part of 75 Democrats supporting GOP resolution; also endorsed former Republican sheriff Greg Ahern who cooperated with ICE, creating contradictions with anti-ICE campaign messaging
Law and order
Hard-line law enforcement focus
Emphasizes law enforcement support, recruiting, training, and retention programs
Immigration enforcement
Pro-enforcement, anti-sanctuary city
Wants to overturn sanctuary law and increase cooperation with ICE
Public safety
Tough-on-crime approach
Focus on law enforcement as solution to crime and public safety issues
Cost of living
Blames Democratic policies for high housing costs, high taxes, and expensive utilities
Argues California has the highest unemployment in America, highest poverty rate, and highest taxes while paying those high taxes
Public safety
Strong emphasis on law enforcement and order
Criticizes Democrats for being 'terrible at enforcing the law' and promises full support for law enforcement
Business environment
Anti-regulation, pro-business
Promises to reduce taxes and end what he calls the 'bureaucratic war on business'

Top Donors

No donor data available.

Tom Steyer (self-funding)
$28,000,000+Individual
Has poured $28 million of his own money into the race since announcing in November 2025, already spending $26 million on TV and digital ads by early 2026

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Steyer claims to be taking on corporate power and 'changing up the system'
Contradiction: Steyer made his fortune at Farallon Capital, a hedge fund that invested in private prisons (criticized for human rights concerns) and fossil fuel companies. He later pivoted to climate activism, but his record includes investments in industries he now criticizes.

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Swalwell claims his campaign will 'abolish ICE' and fight against immigration enforcement
Contradiction: In 2025, Swalwell voted as one of 75 Democrats for a GOP-sponsored resolution expressing 'gratitude' to law enforcement including ICE. Additionally, he endorsed former Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern in 2022, despite Ahern's well-known cooperation with ICE.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

Swalwell campaign

Steyer spent $100 million attacking Swalwell with lying ads

Campaign conflict between two Democratic rivals

Tom Steyer's campaign

Porter lost momentum and is no longer a viable frontrunner due to viral videos of anger

Campaign messaging and polling-based criticism

Tom Steyer's campaign

Swalwell is not a California resident and is domiciled in Washington D.C., failing to meet the five-year residency requirement

Steyer's campaign petitioned California Secretary of State to disqualify Swalwell in March 2026

Katie Porter and other Democratic opponents

Swalwell has voted to support ICE despite campaign rhetoric calling for abolishing the agency

General campaign attacks on Swalwell's immigration record

Democratic and Republican opponents

Bianco's ballot seizure is a campaign stunt designed to boost his electoral profile by playing into Trump's election denial narrative

General campaign criticism and analysis

Democratic opponents

Hilton is using Trump endorsement cynically and represents extreme Republican positions out of step with California

General campaign messaging

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

California Environmental Votersorganization
Climate Center Action Fundorganization
NRDC Action Fundorganization
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warrenindividual
EMILYs Listorganization
Orange County Employees Association (OCEA)organization
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionalsorganization
U.S. Sen. Adam Schiffindividual
Service Employees International Union California (SEIU)organization
Multiple U.S. House colleaguesindividual

No endorsements listed.

Donald Trumpindividual
U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley (Independent)individual
U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R)individual