An election will be held in the U.S. state of California on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of California. The nominees are Democratic former secretary of health and human services Xavier Becerra and Republican political commentator Steve Hilton. Democratic incumbent Gavin Newsom is ineligible to seek re-election to a third term.
The statewide top-two primary election was held on June 2, 2026, with Becerra and Hilton advancing to the general election among the 61 candidates on the ballot. Republicans have not won a gubernatorial race in California since 2006.
An election will be held in the U.S. state of California on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of California. The nominees are Democratic former secretary of health and human services Xavier Becerra and Republican political commentator Steve Hilton. Democratic incumbent Gavin Newsom is ineligible to seek re-election to a third term.
The statewide top-two primary election was held on June 2, 2026, with Becerra and Hilton advancing to the general election among the 61 candidates on the ballot. Republicans have not won a gubernatorial race in California since 2006.
Sixty-one candidates qualified for the primary ballot. California uses a top-two primary system in which all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot, with the top two advancing to the general election.
Among Republicans, Riverside County sheriffChad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton emerged as the leading candidates, while the Democratic field remained fragmented. This raised concerns that two Republicans could advance to the general election. Those concerns eased after President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton, increasing the chance of a Democrat making it into the runoff because some Bianco supporters would likely shift their support to Hilton due to Trump's endorsement.
On April 10, 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle reported allegations from a former staffer who provided credible claims that Swalwell had sexually assaulted her on two occasions. That same day, CNN published additional claims from four women, including one allegation of rape and others describing inappropriate conduct and unsolicited nude photos. CNN reported that it had corroborated the accounts. Swalwell denied all of the allegations and sent cease-and-desist letters to two of the women threatening legal action.
Following the allegations, several staff members resigned from Eric Swalwell's campaign, including co-chairs Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray. The California Teachers Association revoked its endorsement, while U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego also withdrew their support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called on Swalwell to end his campaign. By April 11, all of Swalwell's 21 fellow members of Congress previously endorsing him had withdrawn their support. The following day, he announced that he was suspending his campaign for governor. On April 13, Swalwell announced he had plans to resign from Congress, and formally left on April 14.