California dreaming: who is running to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor?

Katie Porter

Former congresswoman Katie Porter, who represented Orange county, emerged arsenic an early frontrunner. She made a sanction for herself arsenic a user advocator successful Congress, grilling firm executives and pushing for little supplier prices, utilizing her signature whiteboard. In 2024, she ran for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, a title she mislaid to her workfellow successful Congress, Adam Schiff. 

Her run was rocked successful early October aft a series of unflattering videos: nan first capturing a confrontation pinch Julie Watts, a CBS reporter, during which Porter threatened to locomotion retired of an interview; soon after, a video surfaced of her berating a staffer. Though her support has slipped, she still commands important sanction nickname because of her high-profile activity successful Congress.

Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra held elected agency successful California continuously from 1990 to 2021 – first arsenic an assemblyman, past a congressman and yet arsenic lawyer general. The past station often formed him successful nan nationalist spotlight for many times suing nan national authorities during Donald Trump’s first term. Becerra spent nan past 4 years serving arsenic Joe Biden’s caput of wellness and quality services.

Like astir Democrats, he has centered his messaging connected nan rumor of affordability. But his run deed an early velocity bump successful November, aft his erstwhile main of unit Sean McCluskie pleaded blameworthy to national criminal charges for conspiracy to bargain money from Becerra’s run relationship successful 2022. Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing, but his opponents person pounced connected him.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Antonio Villaraigosa boasts a profession that took him from Chicano student activistic to teachers national rep to speaker of nan assembly and politician of Los Angeles. Though he still describes himself arsenic a progressive, he has presented himself arsenic much of a centrist, playing up his history of cutting taxes, boosting constabulary numbers and reining successful crime. He came successful 3rd nan past clip he ran successful nan gubernatorial primary, backmost successful 2018.

Tom Steyer

Tom Steyer, nan billionaire financier turned ambiance alteration activistic and wide governmental patron, besides gained nationalist attraction for his information successful nan crowded 2020 Democratic statesmanlike primary. Though champion known arsenic an environmentalist, Steyer’s apical run issues are pressing corporations to salary much taxes to money nationalist schools, breaking up inferior monopolies and banning firm governmental action committee money from authorities elections.

Betty Yee

Former California authorities comptroller Betty Yee, a San Francisco native, has little sanction nickname than galore of her Democratic colleagues, but points to her inheritance successful finance arsenic a awesome spot for imposing accountability and confronting affordability challenges and nan increasing costs of housing. As comptroller, Yee says she has identified much than $4bn successful misused funds, according to nan Los Angeles Times. She besides served for 2 position connected nan state’s committee of equalization, which oversees taxes connected property, alcoholic beverages and insurers.

Tony Thurmond

Tony Thurmond, nan superintendent of nationalist instruction, has struck possibly nan astir pro-labor stance successful nan field, calling for an summation to nan authorities minimum costs and a coach salary boost, successful summation to echoing nan chorus for much affordable housing. The erstwhile assemblyman won election to his existent office pinch nan backing of nan California Teachers Association and different unions.

Ian Calderon

Ian Calderon, a erstwhile authorities assembly member, positions himself arsenic nan campaigner of generational change, often pointing retired that he served arsenic California’s first millennial authorities legislator and its youngest mostly leader. He near authorities 5 years agone to attraction connected raising his family, saying nan acquisition highlighted – you guessed it – nan increasing problem of affordability, particularly soaring lodging prices. Though he hails from a salient confederate California governmental family, Calderon emphasized his governmental independence successful a run video, saying he doesn’t “take marching orders from anyone – and I surely don’t ever work together pinch my party”.

Chad Bianco

The Riverside region sheriff, Chad Bianco, stands retired arsenic nan astir salient Maga campaigner to subordinate nan race. Known for defying Covid-19 mandates and presiding complete a uniquely deadly jailhouse system, Bianco is moving arsenic an immigration hardliner successful nan mold of Trump. Despite nan truth that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans successful California by 2 to one, Bianco’s sanction nickname coupled pinch nan comparative deficiency of candidates for conservatives to take from raises nan anticipation that Bianco could advance to nan wide election. Although much California Republican delegates voted for Bianco than his competitor Steve Hilton, he did not clear nan period to unafraid their endorsement astatine nan authorities party’s convention. Still, pinch Swalwell retired of nan race, he’s polling cervix and cervix pinch Hilton for nan lead.

Steve Hilton

Steve Hilton, a Former Fox News hostand advisor to nan past British premier minister, David Cameron, is nan different awesome Republican candidate. Despite that résumé and his support for Trump, nan English-born erstwhile advertizing executive is leaning little into civilization warfare issues and much into nan old-school blimpish mantras of cutting taxes, regulations and authorities spending. His run says he aspires to make it imaginable for each Californian to spend a single-family home. Although Trump has endorsed his campaign, Hilton has not received nan aforesaid support from California’s Republican party, which declined to endorse a campaigner astatine its April convention.