2026 California elections

Last updated

2026 California elections
Flag of California.svg
  2024 November 3, 20262028 

The 2026 California elections will take place on November 3, 2026. The statewide direct primary election will be held on June 2.

Contents

California voters will elect all of California's seats to the United States House of Representatives, all of the seats of the California State Assembly, all even-numbered seats of the California State Senate, and the Governor of California and various statewide offices.

Pursuant to Proposition 14 passed in 2010, California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary for its races. All the candidates for the same elected office, regardless of respective political party, run against each other at once during the primary. The candidates receiving the most and second-most votes in the primary election then become the contestants in the general election.

United States Congress

House

All of California's 52 seats to the United States House of Representatives will be up for election to two-year terms.

Statewide constitutional offices

Governor

Incumbent Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and ineligible to seek reelection.

Lieutenant governor

Incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; she is instead running for state treasurer. [1]

Attorney general

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta is running for re-election.

Secretary of state

Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber is running for re-election. [2]

Treasurer

Incumbent Democratic Treasurer Fiona Ma is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; she is instead running for lieutenant governor.

Controller

Incumbent Democratic Controller Malia Cohen is eligible to seek re-election.

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election. State senator Mike McGuire and former state senator Steven Bradford are running for the Democratic nomination, while former San Luis Obispo County supervisor Stacy Korsgaden is running for the Republican nomination. [3]

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for governor.

Board of Equalization

All four seats on the California State Board of Equalization are up for election, with three of four incumbents term-limited and ineligible for re-election.

District 1

Incumbent Republican Ted Gaines is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election.

District 2

Incumbent Democrat Sally Lieber is eligible to seek re-election.

District 3

Incumbent Democrat Tony Vazquez is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for state treasurer.

District 4

Incumbent Democrat Mike Schaefer is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election.

State legislature

State senate

Twenty seats from all even-numbered districts in the California State Senate are up for election.

State Assembly

All eighty seats of the California State Assembly are up for election.

References

  1. "Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis announces early bid in 2026 California governor's race". Los Angeles Times. 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  2. Nixon, Nicole (May 22, 2025). "Shirley Weber to seek reelection as California Secretary of State". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  3. Lynch, Joan (August 5, 2025). "Former SLO County supervisor candidate announces run for statewide office". The Tribune . Retrieved August 5, 2025.