A crowded field of Democrats is running in the open race for governor of California, which has emerged as a high-profile foil to the Trump administration.
Decisions by former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla not to run have cleared the field for the many prominent Democrats who have already jumped into the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
Two high-profile candidates, both of whom ran for president in 2020, jumped in the race in November: billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer and Rep. Eric Swalwell. Also in the race are Secretary of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; Xavier Becerra, who led the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden; former Rep. Katie Porter; former State Comptroller Betty Yee; former California Assembly majority leader Ian Calderon and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
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Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis dropped out of the governor’s race and opted to run for state treasurer instead.
In California, a solidly blue state, candidates compete in all-party primary elections, and the top two finishers, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. The last Republican elected to the governor’s office was Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose term ended in 2011. An effort to recall Newsom in 2021 failed.
Trump has frequently singled out the state and criticized its Democratic leaders, including threatening to cut or withhold federal funds to the state and insulting Newsom as “Newscum.”
The tensions between California and the Trump administration were further heightened by immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, which sparked mass protests. The Trump administration responded by sending U.S. Marines into the city, and Trump threatened to arrest Newsom. Padilla was tackled and hauled out of a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles when he tried to ask questions of her.
In all, 36 governorships are up in 2026. Five Democratic-led states won by Trump in 2024 (Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) are holding elections for governor in 2026, while two Republican governors in states won by Harris (New Hampshire and Vermont) are up for reelection.
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