Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced that he had no intention of running for California governor. This is a significant development for the state’s political figure after previous votes showed that she is an odds-on favorite with a large margin.
So, what will the rest of the field look like in 2026 as Harris chooses to sit instead of taking part in another high stakes race?
According to new voting data from Emerson College, the field is as wide as possible.
The latest poll commissioned by KTLA’s parent company, Nexstar Media, within the Hill and California politics, included responses from hundreds of registered voters in California to gain insight into the sentiment heading into the June 2026 primary.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom being praised and now knowledgeable that Harris, a California native, is not taking part in the poll, the survey revealed that only two candidates hold a particularly compelling lead.
Among them, the top Democrat in the race is former Orange County Councilman Katie Porter.
Porter, who chose not to seek reelection to become a US Senator in California, is the position he was later secured by Adam Schiff, and in March announced his bid for the governor’s mansion, all accounts are the ones who will beat the Democrats.
In April, when Harris was dominating the candidate’s potential field, Porter won about 12% of support from estimated voters.
New voting data for August shows Porter’s support reached up to 18%, far from the 49% they received from registered Democrats.
According to Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, Porter leads among voters of over 50 years (22%), graduate degrees (35%) and white voters (23%).
Democrat Katie Porter is waving to her supporters after failing to advance with the US Senate’s leading race at the election night party on March 5, 2024 in Long Beach. (AP Photo/Damiando Burgergen, File)
18% of Porter are more than three times more than the closest Democratic candidate, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villarigoza. Villaraigosa, 72, has established himself in the Obama administration and previously served as chairman of the California Legislature, but since 2013 he has not been elected.
Villaraigosa voted at around 5% in August, causing a stagnation in the April poll.
Former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director Xavier Becerra, who previously served as California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021, votes about 3%. Newsom’s Deputy Commander, Li Goni Goni kounalakis, now mid-center, also received about 3% of the potential support.
Billionaire property developer Rick Caruso, who has not officially announced plans to seek governor, received 4% support from respondents when he hypothesizedly announces his bid.
Democrat Rick Caruso will speak in Los Angeles on June 7, 2022 (AP Photo/Alex Garraldo)
Caruso, bears his name, founded a real estate company in the Los Angeles area that owns several luxury retail centers and multiple use properties. Caruso was Karen Bass runner-up in Los Angeles’ latest mayoral race.
Other candidates included former state controller Betty Yi, former California Sen. Toni Atkins, and current supervision of current public leadership, Tony Thurmond.
On the Republican side, new candidates have joined the conservative contest in California.
Former Fox News host and contributor Steve Hilton is a London-born politician who was a top adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, sitting in the field of Republican candidates in the latest Emerson poll.
Steve Hilton will be attending the Los Angeles premiere of “Reagan” at the TCL Chinese Theatre on August 20, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Robin L Marshall/Filmmagic)
Hilton announced his candidacy in April, and was not included in the Nexstar polls that month. He currently receives 12% potential support among voters as of the August poll.
A passionate supporter of President Donald Trump, Hilton has been approved by conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk in Maga Track, including his 2024 presidential candidate and former government efficiency co-head Vivek Ramaswamy.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, the leading Republican candidate in the April poll, received 7% support in August. While chasing Hilton, Bianco actually experienced a 3% bump among potential voters, pollers found.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will speak at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on May 15, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Republicans have not been elected governor in California since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. Republicans have not won statewide races in California since re-election in 2006.
Five percent of those who voted said they supported someone else, but 38% said they were currently undecided, less than the undecided 54% in the April poll.
The Emerson College poll also asked respondents about potential White House candidates in the 2028 race, and is now leading the Democrat field, with Vice President JD as a Republican favorite.
Click here to learn more about the Emerson College poll, including methodology and other survey responses.
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