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

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