CA-GOV: California's governor race has a clear top tier (Gold standard California poll)

Former Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and megadonor Tom Steyer are effectively tied atop the teeming Democratic field in the race for governor, according to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll.

The contest to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom has been unusually muddled without a decisive frontrunner after potentially commanding candidates like Sen. Alex Padilla and former Vice President Kamala Harris decided against running. That has created the most open-ended campaign in memory for the state’s top job.

“It’s pretty unprecedented for a California governor’s race,” said survey director Mark Baldassare. “It’s a very unusual race.”

Still, the contest has separated into two distinct tiers, according to the new survey. The top five contenders — three Democrats and two Republicans — all logged double-digit support that tops out in the low teens, while a cluster of Democrats straggled behind at five percent or lower.



https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/californias-governor-race-has-a-clear-top-tier-00799761