Cal Matters
Dan Walters
May 19, 2026
Two weeks from now we’ll probably know which of the 61 candidates for governor have finished 1-2 in the primary election and will face each other in November for the dubious honor of governing a state that may be ungovernable.
The weasel adverb “probably” is warranted because three would-be governors are in a close race, and California is notorious for taking a long time to produce a final election count.
The latest Democratic Party poll, released Tuesday, has Republican Steve Hilton, a British-born former Fox News commentator, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former attorney general, virtually tied at 22% and 21% respectively. Billionaire Tom Steyer is still alive at 15%, but all other once-viable candidates are trailing in single digits.
CONTINUE READING