A handful of announced Democratic hopefuls still running, but none has anything close to frontrunner status.
Sen. Alex Padilla speaks to the media after observing immigration hearings at the Edward Schwartz Federal Building in San Diego on Sept. 24.In 362 days California voters will choose a new governor. That’s just around the corner in political terms, given the expense and organizational lift a statewide campaign requires in the nation’s most populous state.
The winner almost certainly will be — as certain as anything in politics can be — a Democrat. If nothing else, the passage of Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mid-decade congressional district gerrymander, confirms anew that California is a one-party state.Barabak: She was highly qualified to be governor. Why did her campaign fizzle?What’s next for Katie Porter’s California governor campaign after the viral videos? As the 2026 election cycle gears up — candidates can start filing paperwork next month — the field of would-be successors to Newsom is becoming even cloudier. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, who political media had been portraying as leaning toward running for governor, abruptly dropped out of consideration Tuesday during a Washington press conference to discuss the federal government shutdown. “It is with a full heart and even more commitment than ever that I am choosing to not run for governor of California next year,” Padilla said. “I choose not just to stay in the Senate, I choose to stay in this fight.”. By opting-out, he adds himself to the list of seemingly heavyweight contenders who decided governing California isn’t an attractive career move., who wrote a book to explain how she failed to win the presidency last year. Toni Atkins, former president pro tem of the state Senate, also exited, Padilla’s decision leaves a handful of announced Democratic hopefuls still running, but none with anything close to dominant status, along with a few more potentials who have yet to declare one way or the other. Of those who have announced, former Congresswoman Katie Porter had an early lead in polling, although under 20% support, butwhen videos surfaced of her harsh reaction to a reporter’s question and snapping at one of her staffers. Porter apologized but the incidents undermined her likeability, no small thing in political terms. At the moment, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Attorney General and Biden cabinet member Xavier Becerra seem to have the best prospects among the declared candidates, but once again we’re waiting for other potential candidates to get in or get out. All eyes are on businessman Rick Caruso, who’s weighing whether to seek the governorship or run again for mayor of Los Angeles. He lost his first mayoral bid to Karen Bass, but her popularity has waned due to her handling of the city’s disastrous fires. Austin Beutner, a businessman and former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, has already declared that he’ll challenge Bass, which puts some pressure on Caruso to make his intentions known. Wealthy investor Tom Steyer, who ran for president in 2020, pumped millions of dollars into his own campaign for Proposition 50, sparking speculation he might run for governor. Caruso and Steyer could easily finance campaigns for governor, freeing themselves from the chore of raising money and thus incurring political debts to supporters. That alone would make them viable candidates. Former state Controller Betty Yee and Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of schools, are still declared candidates but don’t appear to be gaining traction. Finally, there’s some buzz in political media about Bay Area Congressman Eric Swalwell, after one private poll included his name. Until the field becomes clearer, political media, would-be campaign contributors and California voters will just have to twiddle their thumbs.Dear Abby: She's going to give her baby a ridiculous name because she thinks it's pretty‘Human Barbie’ influencer known for 27 surgeries dies at 31 ‘She was a child’: A boy was beaten to death in Oakland as men with cash came by to molest his teen mom 'She was a child': A boy was beaten to death in Oakland as men with cash came by to molest his teen momDear Abby: I want my sister's 'quirky aunt' behavior to stop'Top Secret' files among those allegedly misappropriated by software engineer losing job at Santa Clara chip giant Intel
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Shuvendu Sen spotlights the arts in 'Broadway and Bar Fortunes'Dr. Shuvendu Sen’s documentary “Broadway and Bar Fortunes” explores how the arts can help rehabilitate the incarcerated by following and documenting four of
Read more »
Alex Padilla, a favorite to succeed Gavin Newsom, won’t run for California governorSen. Alex Padilla was never officially in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, but his national profile led many to believe that he’d be a favorite to win.
Read more »
Zohran Mamdani's Victory Sparks Debate on Democratic Party's FutureZohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, wins the New York City mayoral race, leading to discussions about the Democratic Party's direction and potential impact on the upcoming midterm elections. His progressive platform, focusing on economic equality and cost-of-living issues, contrasts with more moderate viewpoints within the party, raising questions about the future of the Democratic Party.
Read more »
Frey defeats Democratic socialist opponent in bid for 3rd term as Minneapolis mayorMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has secured a third term, defeating Democratic state Sen. Omar Fateh.
Read more »
Alex Padilla, a favorite to succeed Gavin Newsom, won’t run for California governorSen. Alex Padilla was never officially in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, but his national profile led many to believe that he’d be a favorite to win.
Read more »
Sen. Padilla elects not to run for governor, leaving a cloudy field of candidatesSen. Alex Padilla joins other prominent people who elected to not seek California's highest office. There's no clear frontrunner so far.
Read more »