Four Democrats running for California governor in 2026 face off in a forum, even before voters have their November 2024 ballots
Left to right, former state Controller Betty Yee, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and state Sen. Toni Atkins during a governor candidate forum hosted by the National Union of Healthcare Workers and the Los Angeles Times in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024.
Notably, the most moderate major Democrat to jump into the race so far — former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who tried tacking to the center in an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid against Newsom in 2018 — was not present. Villaraigosa was invited, but a spokesperson said he was unavailable to attend, which may have robbed the forum of some clearer differentiation.
Both Thurmond and Kounalakis said they were undecided on Prop. 36. Thurmond took issue with provisions of the measure dealing with drug crimes and called for expanding programs that aim to keep young people out of the criminal justice system in the first place. Californians won’t vote for their next governor for another year and a half — the primary election is in June 2026 — but the race haslast year in April, just months after she was sworn into her second term as the state’s second in command. A parade of prominent Democratic officials has followed, including
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