2026 California candidates master guide: All 24 candidates on the November 3 ballot

California will elect a new governor on November 3, 2026, and the choice is between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton. Their race tops a statewide ballot with 11 more contests. Every voter will also choose a lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction, plus one of four Board of Equalization members depending on where they live. Retention votes on California Supreme Court and appeals court justices round out the statewide section.

That makes 24 candidates for 12 offices, according to the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates. Eight of the 12 seats have no incumbent on the ballot, mostly because of the state's two-term limits. Three of the races pit two Democrats against each other. And four candidates, including both men running for governor, left their pages blank in the official voter guide.

This guide is the companion to our master guide to all 14 propositions. It takes the statewide races in ballot order. For each, the candidates, ballot designations and June 2 primary results come from the Secretary of State's certified list and Statement of Vote. Office descriptions and candidate statements are quoted from the state Voter Information Guide. Fundraising is each candidate's 2026 campaign committee as reported on Cal-Access through October 17. Outside money is from the Fair Political Practices Commission's top-contributor list, last updated October 23.

2026 California propositions master guide: All 14 measures on the November 3 ballot

California's November 3, 2026 ballot carries 14 propositions, from an $11.25 billion housing bond to a one-time billionaire tax. This guide covers each measure's rules, its cost according to the Legislative Analyst, who is funding both sides, and where the polls stand as ballots arrive.

California TodayMac Douglass | Editor

Voting is well underway. County elections offices had recorded 3,160,419 ballots cast through October 24, according to the Secretary of State's ballot return statistics. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 3. Mailed ballots count if they are postmarked by Election Day and reach the county by November 10.

The 24 California statewide candidates on the 2026 ballot, office by office:

The table lists every statewide finalist with the ballot designation each chose, their June 2 share, what their 2026 campaign committee had raised through October 17 and whether they bought a statement in the state voter guide.

California's 2026 statewide candidates, with June results and 2026 fundraising:

Two numbers in the table need context. The June share is each candidate's percentage of a crowded primary field, so a low figure does not mean a weak general-election candidate: Fiona Ma finished first for lieutenant governor with 19.1%. And the 2026 money column leaves out what candidates raised in 2025 and anything reported after October 17, which matters most for the two governor campaigns.

Eight of California's 12 statewide offices have no incumbent on the ballot:

Only four officeholders are running for re-election: Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Controller Malia Cohen, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Board of Equalization member Sally Lieber. Each was first elected in 2022, according to that year's Statement of Vote.

Five of the open seats are open because of term limits. Governor Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Treasurer Fiona Ma, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond all won their offices in 2018 and again in 2022. The state Constitution says no governor "may serve more than 2 terms", and it sets the same limit for the lieutenant governor and treasurer and the superintendent. The insurance commissioner's limit of "two four-year terms" is in Insurance Code section 12900.

Two of those officeholders are now running for each other's jobs. Treasurer Fiona Ma is the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is the Democratic candidate for treasurer. The other three open seats are Board of Equalization Districts 1, 3 and 4.

California's top-two primary produced three races between two Democrats:

California's June primary is "voter-nominated." All candidates for a state office appear on one ballot, and the state Constitution sends the top two vote-getters to November regardless of party. That rule applies even when a candidate wins a majority in June. Weber (58.7%), Cohen (56.8%), Bonta (56.6%) and Lieber (56.8%) all cleared 50% on June 2 and still face a runoff.

The same rule produced three races with no Republican in them:

• Insurance Commissioner: Jane Kim and Ben Allen, both Democrats.
• Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber and John Pimentel, both Democrats.
• Board of Equalization, District 3: Mike Gipson and Samuel Sukaton, both Democrats.

The superintendent's race works differently. The Constitution makes it a nonpartisan office and bars a candidate's party preference from appearing on the ballot. Both parties have still endorsed in it, as the superintendent section below explains.

Four statewide candidates have no statement in the state voter guide:

Voters who open the official guide's governor page will find two lines that read "No candidate statement." The same line appears under Attorney General Rob Bonta and under Samuel Sukaton, a Board of Equalization District 3 candidate. Every other statewide finalist has one.

The reason is a campaign-finance rule. Government Code section 85601 lets a statewide candidate "who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits" buy space for a statement of up to 250 words. The Secretary of State's spending-limit report shows that Becerra, Hilton, Bonta and Sukaton did not accept the limit, and Cal-Access shows the same for each. The other 20 statewide finalists did. Accepting the limit is voluntary, and declining it means no statement in the guide.

Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton are running to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor:

The state voter guide describes the governor as the state's chief executive officer, who "oversees most state departments and agencies, and appoints judges," signs or vetoes bills and proposes the annual budget. The winner takes office "the Monday after January 1 following the election," under Article V, section 2, which falls on January 4, 2027.

Sixty-eight people ran for governor on June 2, seven of them as write-ins, and 9,262,468 votes were cast in the race. Becerra finished first with 2,591,857 votes (28.0%) and Hilton second with 2,277,318 (24.6%), according to the Statement of Vote. Tom Steyer, a Democrat, missed the runoff by 166,611 votes with 22.8%. Chad Bianco, a Republican, was fourth with 10.2%.

Becerra's record runs from the Assembly to Congress, the attorney general's office and HHS:

Becerra served one term in the state Assembly and then 12 terms in the U.S. House, according to his biography on the Attorney General's site. He was sworn in as California's 33rd attorney general on January 24, 2017, served until March 2021 (Attorney General history) and won a full term in 2018 with 63.6% of the vote. He then served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration, a role his campaign and CNN both describe. His ballot designation is "Voting Rights Attorney."

His campaign's housing plan promises an executive order "declaring California's housing shortage a state of emergency" and says it would start with "the nearly 40,000 affordable housing units sitting in approved projects across California." It also promises a final response on every housing project seeking state review "within a defined, clear timeline (e.g., 180 days)." On costs, the affordability page pledges "standing up to price gouging and unjustified rate hikes."

Hilton is a former Fox News host and adviser to David Cameron, endorsed by Donald Trump:

Hilton "hosted a Fox News show for six years and worked as an adviser to former British prime minister David Cameron," the Associated Press reported when President Donald Trump endorsed him in April. Trump wrote on Truth Social that "With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!" Hilton's ballot designation is "Small Business Owner," and the California Republican Party endorses him.

His campaign's plan page describes "two priorities and eight promises to fix California." Its stated aims are to "cut the cost of living, fix our schools, restore public safety." Hilton has proposed eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000 people earn, as Fox26 and CNN reported.

Becerra and Hilton both oppose the Proposition 40 billionaire tax and split on voter ID:

The two candidates debated in CNN's Burbank studio on September 30. Here is where they stand on the main issues, from that debate and Becerra's July 31 list of ballot positions:

• The billionaire tax (Proposition 40): Both oppose it. Becerra listed "NO on Prop 40" and told the debate audience the one-time tax "is not the way to do tax policy." Hilton said it would drive tax revenue out of the state. The California Democratic Party supports the measure. Our billionaire tax explainer covers how it would work.
• Voter ID (Proposition 39): Becerra's positions page calls it "Donald Trump's voter interference agenda, repackaged for a California ballot." Hilton supports it and said at the debate that "there's a majority in this state who agree that it's reasonable to show ID when you vote." Our Proposition 39 guide has the details.
• Income taxes: Becerra called Hilton's $150,000 exemption a Trump tax policy, CNN reported. Becerra supports Proposition 3, which would make the 2012 top income-tax rates permanent.
• Housing: Becerra backs Proposition 1, the $11.25 billion housing bond, and Proposition 37, the homebuyer loan program. Hilton wants to "bring back starter homes" by making suburban single-family housing easier to build, Fox26 reported.
• Homelessness and AI: Becerra said he would clear encampments and address mental health and addiction. Hilton called for "an immediate pause" on AI technology in classrooms, CNN reported.

Becerra also supports Proposition 2, the rainy-day fund measure.

Becerra has raised $35.96 million in 2026 to Hilton's $27.09 million:

Becerra's campaign committee reported $35,959,092 in contributions from January 1 through October 17, 2026, according to Cal-Access. It spent $32,862,727 and had $7,102,437 in cash at the end of that period. Hilton's committee reported $27,088,785 in contributions, $28,317,495 in spending and $2,030,774 in cash.

Outside groups have added more on Becerra's side. A committee called Working Families for Healthy Communities, which supports Becerra, has received $14,050,000 from its top 10 contributors, the FPPC list shows. The largest are:

• California Association of Realtors' independent expenditure committee: $2,750,000
• Laborers Pacific Southwest Regional Organizing Coalition PAC: $2,450,000
• Pechanga Band of Indians: $2,000,000
• Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria: $1,500,000
• California Medical Association's independent expenditure committee: $1,400,000

Meta Platforms ($950,000) and Chevron ($500,000) are also on that list. A committee opposing Hilton, Greater Golden State, has received $2,500,000, led by $1,000,000 from Bill Bloomfield and $750,000 from the Democratic Governors Association's committee. No committee supporting Hilton had raised enough to appear on the FPPC list.

Becerra leads Hilton by 18 to 27 points in four polls since August:

Four public polls of likely voters since August, each read from the pollster's own release, show Becerra ahead by double digits:

• Berkeley IGS, August 3–9: Becerra 55%, Hilton 37% (release #2026-15).
• PPIC, September 4–10: Becerra 60%, Hilton 38% (survey). Democrats backed Becerra 93%, Republicans backed Hilton 92% and independents leaned to Becerra 57% to 38%.
• Berkeley IGS, September 15–20: Becerra 58%, Hilton 33% (release #2026-19). Hilton led in the San Joaquin Valley (49% to 45%) and the North Coast and Sierras (48% to 45%), regions where the release says his lead had "narrowed considerably."
• Emerson College, October 17–19: Becerra 60%, Hilton 33%, rising to 64% to 36% when undecided voters were asked which way they lean (release).

In PPIC's survey, 65% of likely voters said the candidates' positions on affordability and the cost of living were "very important" to their vote.

Fiona Ma and Gloria Romero are running for lieutenant governor:

The lieutenant governor takes over the governor's duties during an absence or vacancy, presides over the state Senate with a tie-breaking vote and sits on the University of California and California State University boards, according to the voter guide. Sixteen candidates appeared on the June ballot. Ma, the state treasurer, finished first with 19.1%, and Romero second with 17.8%, ahead of Democrats Josh Fryday (14.7%) and Michael Tubbs (13.3%).

Ma's ballot designation is "State Treasurer/CPA." Her statement says she has been a certified public accountant since 1992 and promises to "make higher education more affordable, expand paid internships, and strengthen career pathways." The California Democratic Party endorses her.

Romero, a Republican, served as state Senate majority leader. Her statement says she "walked away from monopoly one-party rule" and argues that the office "should not be a ceremonial title or a parking spot for failed career politicians." The California Republican Party endorses her. Ma's 2026 committee has raised $1,685,583 to Romero's $292,442.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber faces Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner:

The secretary of state is California's chief elections officer and also handles business filings, notaries and the State Archives, according to the voter guide. Weber, a Democrat, won the office in 2022 with 60.1% of the vote. On June 2 she took 58.7% to Wagner's 36.7%.

Wagner's statement centers on how California counts votes:

"Other large states finish counting votes and announce results on Election Night. California takes more than a month."
—Don Wagner, statement in the state voter guide

He pledges to "speed up vote counting" and supports photo ID at the polls, the subject of Proposition 39. State law gives counties until December 3 to certify results and the secretary of state until December 11, the office's election calendar shows. Two days after the November 2024 election, counties had counted 10,728,985 ballots and still had 5,472,423 to process, Weber's office reported at the time.

Weber's statement focuses on voting access. "I will never give up on protecting your voting rights," it begins, and it describes her birth "in the Jim Crow South to sharecroppers who couldn't vote." Weber's committee reported $374,175 raised in 2026 and $943,422 in cash. Wagner's reported $541,499 raised and $21,076 in cash.

Controller Malia Cohen faces Republican Herb Morgan:

The controller is the state's chief fiscal officer, who runs the state payroll and unclaimed property programs and audits state operations, according to the voter guide. Cohen, a Democrat, won the office in 2022 and took 56.8% in June to Morgan's 37.5%.

Cohen's statement cites her monthly cash reports and the modernization of the state payroll system. Morgan, whose ballot designation is "Chief Investment Officer," notes that the controller "does not set policy" and promises to put "all expenditures in an easy-to-use online database with transaction-level detail." Cohen has raised $978,420 in 2026 to Morgan's $634,689.

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Republican Jennifer Hawks are running for treasurer:

The treasurer is "the state's banker," managing investments and selling state bonds, the voter guide says. Kounalakis, who has been lieutenant governor since January 7, 2019, according to her office, took 36.7% in June to Hawks's 24.0%.

Kounalakis's statement points to her years as a housing builder and promises to "build more affordable housing through public finance." It also says, "As the only Democrat in the race, I'll stand up to Donald Trump's attacks on our state." Hawks, a "Retired Business Executive" on the ballot, writes that "California needs a financial watchdog, not another politician." Kounalakis's treasurer committee has raised $5,027,175 in 2026. Hawks's has raised $140,507.

Attorney General Rob Bonta faces Republican Michael Gates:

The attorney general is the state's chief law officer and heads the Department of Justice, the voter guide says. Bonta has held the office since April 2021, according to the Attorney General's office, and won a full term in 2022 with 59.1%. In June he took 56.6% to Gates's 37.9%.

Bonta is one of the four candidates with no voter-guide statement. He declined the spending limit, and his committee reported $6,237,054 in cash on October 17 after raising $1,651,610 in 2026.

Gates's ballot designation is "Deputy United States Attorney." His statement says he "enforced Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice" and, as Huntington Beach's city attorney, built a local prosecution program. It cites FBI data in claiming that "California ranks 6th highest in the nation for violent crime," and promises to "fully enforce" Proposition 36, which he describes as restoring "accountability for repeat theft and drug offenses." Gates has raised $2,121,172 in 2026.

Jane Kim and Ben Allen, both Democrats, are running for the open insurance commissioner seat:

The insurance commissioner heads the Department of Insurance, which licenses and regulates insurers and answers consumer complaints, according to the voter guide. Commissioner Ricardo Lara has served the two terms the law allows.

Eleven candidates ran in June. Kim, a former San Francisco supervisor, finished first with 27.4%, and Allen, a state senator, second with 19.4%. Five Republicans together drew 3,157,387 of the 8,499,824 votes cast, or 37.1%, more than either finalist. None of them is on the November ballot, so Republican voters will help decide a race between two Democrats.

Both candidates have pledged to refuse insurance company money. Their statements differ most on whether the state should offer disaster coverage itself:

"I'll ensure our premiums are invested into making our communities safer through a public Disaster Insurance for All program."
—Jane Kim, statement in the state voter guide

"Instead of creating an untested large-scale system that puts the state and you the taxpayer on the hook, I believe in a proven, practical path that adds insurance options and lowers rates, without gambling our state's finances."
—Ben Allen, statement in the state voter guide

The California Democratic Party endorses Allen. Kim's statement lists support from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis, Controller Cohen, the California Teachers Association and the California Nurses Association. The Republican Party has not endorsed in the race.

Allen's committee has raised $2,284,836 in 2026 and Kim's $1,329,166. Two outside committees supporting Allen have received $2,448,127 from their top contributors, according to the FPPC list. Contributors listed as Christian A. Larsen and Christian Anton Larsen gave $1,002,127 and $1,000,000, and Bill Bloomfield gave $300,000. The second committee, sponsored by the California Business Roundtable, also lists $10,000 each from Lexington National Insurance Corporation and Financial Casualty & Surety, Inc. State law defines an independent expenditure as one "not made to or at the behest of the affected candidate", and these committees are separate from Allen's campaign. No committee supporting Kim appears on the list.

Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera are running for superintendent of public instruction, a nonpartisan office:

The superintendent is the state's elected voice on public education, advocating to the Legislature and governor and sitting on the governing boards of the state's education systems, the voter guide says. Superintendent Tony Thurmond has served two terms and ran for governor in June, finishing with 0.7%.

Ten candidates ran in June. Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified school board, finished first with 22.6%, and Barrera, an 18-year member and current president of the San Diego Unified school board, second with 20.3%. No party label appears beside either name on the ballot. Even so, the California Democratic Party endorses Barrera and the California Republican Party endorses Shaw.

Barrera's statement opens with "Democrat Richard Barrera" and pledges to "protect California from Trump/MAGA attacks on public education." Shaw's statement promises to "restore high academic standards in reading, writing, and math" and to "protect Title IX, ensuring fairness and safety for girls." Barrera has raised $686,503 in 2026 to Shaw's $415,980.

Four Board of Equalization seats are on the ballot, and three have no incumbent:

The Board of Equalization is the state's elected tax board. It assesses the property of railroads and regulated utilities, oversees the state's 58 county assessors and collects the alcoholic beverage tax, according to the voter guide. Each voter sees one district's race:

• District 1: Republican state Senator Shannon Grove led Democrat Nelson Esparza, a Fresno city councilmember, by 7,967 votes in June (34.5% to 34.0%). Grove has raised $524,168 in 2026 to Esparza's $250,804.
• District 2: Board chair Sally Lieber, the only incumbent, took 56.8% against fellow Democrat John Pimentel's 15.8%. Pimentel's statement promises to "fight to end sales tax on restaurant and delivered food."
• District 3: Assemblymember Mike Gipson (27.9%) faces fellow Democrat Samuel Sukaton (18.2%), a labor union organizer and the fourth statewide candidate without a guide statement.
• District 4: Republican Denis Bilodeau, an Orange city councilmember, led Democratic state Senator Tom Umberg 45.1% to 20.7%. Umberg's statement says he authored Proposition 4, the public campaign financing measure. Bilodeau's says he will "oppose the proposed car mileage tax," the idea covered in our mileage tax explainer. Umberg has raised $1,583,779 in 2026 to Bilodeau's $74,900.

Two Supreme Court justices and 61 appeals court justices face retention votes:

Judicial races on the statewide ballot are yes-or-no votes on whether to keep a sitting justice. Justices are nominated by the governor, confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments and then face voters "at the next gubernatorial election, and thereafter at the conclusion of each term," the voter guide explains. A full term is 12 years.

Every voter decides on two California Supreme Court justices:

• Kelli M. Evans: Associate Justice since 2023, previously an Alameda County Superior Court judge and chief deputy legal affairs secretary to Governor Newsom.
• Joshua P. Groban: Associate Justice since 2018, previously a senior advisor to Governor Jerry Brown.

The certified list also carries 61 retention questions for Court of Appeal justices across the state's six appellate districts. Voters see only the justices for their own district.

California's 2026 statewide candidates and the dates that decide their races:

Below the statewide races, every ballot also carries a U.S. House race and a state Assembly race, and voters in 20 state Senate districts choose a senator. Statewide that adds up to 52 House races, all 80 Assembly seats and 20 Senate seats, according to the certified list. Which ones a voter sees depends on their address. The House races use the congressional map voters approved through Proposition 50 in November 2025, by 64.4% to 35.6% according to the Statement of Vote, and our Prop 50 results page maps the new districts.

For the 24 statewide candidates, the Secretary of State's calendar sets the rest of the timeline:

1. November 3: Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Counties begin reporting results at 8 p.m. and update the state at least every two hours until the semifinal count is done.
2. November 10: Last day for mailed ballots postmarked by November 3 to arrive and be counted.
3. December 3: Last day for counties to certify their results.
4. December 11: The secretary of state certifies the Statement of Vote and issues certificates of election.
5. January 4, 2027: The new governor takes office, along with the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general and superintendent.

The propositions on the same ballot are covered measure by measure in our 2026 propositions master guide.

Status: This guide reflects campaign-finance reports through October 17, 2026, the FPPC top-contributor list as updated October 23 and ballot returns through October 24. Polling is current through the Emerson College survey released October 21. Figures will change before November 3.