California governor race heats up: who’s vying to replace Gavin Newsom?

The contest to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom — a high-profile Democratic governor with national ambitions whose term ends next year — has already become crowded. More than 95 prospective candidates have filed paperwork indicating intent to run, even though the formal filing window opens on 9 February.

Polling so far has not produced a clear frontrunner. A 7 November survey from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found nearly half of voters describe themselves as “undecided,” leaving the contest open and unpredictable. All candidates will appear on a single, nonpartisan primary ballot on 2 June; the top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.

Top contenders

Katie Porter — The former congresswoman from Orange County emerged early as a leading Democratic contender. Porter gained national recognition as a consumer advocate in Congress, famously using a whiteboard to press corporate executives on drug prices and other issues. She lost a 2024 Senate bid but retains strong name recognition despite a late-campaign controversy involving heated exchanges captured on video that dented her standing.

Xavier Becerra — A veteran of California politics, Becerra held elected office in the state from 1990 to 2021, serving as state assemblyman, U.S. representative and attorney general before serving four years as U.S. secretary of health and human services. His campaign emphasizes affordability, but it was clouded by the November guilty plea of a former chief of staff in a scheme to steal campaign funds. Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Antonio Villaraigosa — The former Los Angeles mayor and one-time California assembly speaker began his political life as a Chicano student activist and labor leader. Though he describes himself as a progressive, Villaraigosa has highlighted centrist credentials from his record on taxes, policing and crime reduction; he finished third in the 2018 gubernatorial primary.

Eric Swalwell — Representing the East Bay in Congress since 2012, Swalwell raised his national profile with a 2020 presidential bid and by helping manage the House impeachment effort against Donald Trump. His campaign stresses his record of confronting the former president while focusing on affordability for California families.

Tom Steyer — The billionaire investor turned climate activist and political donor is best known for environmental advocacy and a prior presidential bid. Steyer’s gubernatorial platform emphasizes raising corporate contributions to support public schools, breaking up utility monopolies and restricting corporate political spending in state elections.

Betty Yee — The former state comptroller and two-term member of the state board of equalization leans on her financial background as a strength in addressing housing costs and government accountability. As comptroller she says she identified more than $4 billion in misused funds during her tenure.

Tony Thurmond — The state superintendent of public instruction and former assemblyman has positioned himself as the most pro-labor major Democrat in the race, calling for a higher minimum wage, increased teacher pay and expanded affordable housing. His campaign is backed by major unions.

Ian Calderon — A former state assembly member who bills himself as a candidate of generational change, Calderon was California’s first millennial legislator and its youngest majority leader. He left elected office to raise a family and now emphasizes affordability and housing as central reasons for his return.

Chad Bianco — The Riverside County sheriff is the most prominent MAGA-aligned Republican in the race. Known for resisting COVID-19 mandates and overseeing a jail system facing serious criticisms, Bianco runs as a tough-on-immigration, law-and-order conservative. Given Democrats’ registration advantage in California, he would need strong crossover support to reach the general election, but the limited conservative field gives him a clearer lane on the right.

Steve Hilton — The English-born former media host and one-time adviser to a British prime minister is running as a conservative focused on traditional fiscal priorities: tax cuts, deregulation and smaller government. Though he aligns with some Trump-era themes, his message so far emphasizes economic conservatism and policies to make single-family homeownership more attainable for Californians.

What to watch

Key dynamics to follow include fundraising and endorsements, how the large field consolidates (if it does), and whether any candidate can break through the high level of voter indecision. With California’s top-two primary system, it’s possible two candidates from the same party will advance, or that an upset could propel a relatively lesser-known contender into the November ballot.