California’s jungle primary puts all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party. The top two advance to November. The latest Emerson College poll shows Republican Chad Bianco at 13 percent, Republican Steve Hilton at 12 percent, Democrat Eric Swalwell at 12 percent, and Democrat Katie Porter at 11 percent. Thirty-one percent remain undecided. Eight Democrats are running. Two Republicans are running.
Emerson College surveyed 1,000 registered California voters December 1-2, 2025. Bianco gained two points since October. Hilton lost four points. Among Democratic voters only, Swalwell draws 20 percent and Porter draws 17 percent. Among Republican voters only, Bianco draws 33 percent and Hilton draws 30 percent. Among independents, 45 percent remain undecided.
The Democratic field: Representative Eric Swalwell, former Representative Katie Porter, former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and billionaire Tom Steyer. Former Vice President Kamala Harris declined to run. Senator Alex Padilla declined to run.
The Republican field: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Fox News commentator Steve Hilton. Both support Trump. No other major Republicans entered.
Campaign finance reports filed January 2026 show Hilton raised $4.1 million in the second half of 2025, entering 2026 with $2 million cash on hand. Bianco raised $2 million and has approximately $2 million cash on hand. Among Democrats, Becerra has $3.8 million cash on hand, Porter has $3.2 million, and Villaraigosa has $3.4 million. Tom Steyer spent $26 million of his own money on advertising. The December Emerson poll showed him at 8 percent.
California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011. Kamala Harris won California by 20 points in 2024. No Republican won statewide office in 2022. The state votes reliably Democratic in presidential and statewide races.
Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited after serving since 2019. His approval rating stands at 52 percent favorable in the December Emerson poll. The primary is June 2, 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks told Newsweek, “We look forward to electing another California Democrat as our next Governor in 2026.”
Rick Gorka, spokesman for Bianco, told Newsweek, “Sheriff Chad Bianco has all the momentum behind his campaign for Governor and the last three public polls prove this point.” Steve Hilton told Newsweek, “After 15 years of Democrat one-party rule, the state is not working.” Corrin Rankin, California GOP chair, told Newsweek that polls show “Californians are tired of the decades of failure and corruption by Democrats.”
Four months remain before the June primary. Political strategists told CalMatters that most candidates are not raising money quickly enough to compete in the final months. Democratic Party officials have not convinced candidates to consolidate. No major candidates have dropped out. Eight Democrats continue campaigning separately. Two Republicans continue campaigning.
The math: If eight Democrats split 60 percent of primary voters evenly, each receives 7.5 percent. If two Republicans split 40 percent evenly, each receives 20 percent. The top two advance regardless of party. Thirty-one percent of voters remain undecided with four months until the primary.
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