On April 2, Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Attorney General of California, announced his candidacy for the position.

“California is at a crossroads. From housing to healthcare, childcare to college, working families are facing an affordability crisis. The California Dream is slipping away. I’m running for Governor to fight for that dream, to build a stronger, affordable California for everyone, and to take on bullies who get in our way,” Becerra said in his press release.

As Attorney General of California, Becerra his office challenged the first Trump administration in many cases. He launched the landmark California v. Texas case, where he defended the Affordable Care Act all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

Next as Secretary of HHS, he negotiated historic reductions in prescription drug prices and expanded healthcare coverage to a record 300 million plus Americans. Under his tenure, HHS navigated the successful vaccination effort that pulled the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Becerra is the eighth Democratic candidate (see below). Another prominent Californian Democrat, former Vice-President Kamala Harris, has said she is considering entering the race.

In January 2024, Sen. Toni Atkins announced her candidacy for Governor. The Democrat from San Diego was only the third person and the first woman to hold both of the state Legislature’s top jobs — speaker of the Assembly and president pro tempore of the Senate.

Stephen Cloobeck announced his intention in November 2024. His biography says he is a self-made entrepreneur with more than 40 years’ experience across every aspect of hospitality design, development, finance and operations.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis was one of the first to declare their entry in the 2026 gubernatorial, announcing two years ago. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed her U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. After she came home, she ran for public office becoming the first woman Lieutenant Governor of California.

Former three-term Congresswoman Katie Porter from Orange County announced last month. After the 2016 election, Porter launched her first-ever campaign. Two years later, she flipped the congressional seat from red to blue and became the first Democrat to represent the area in 75 years.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was also an early candidate, announcing his campaign in September 2023. His political experiences include time on the West Contra Costa School Board, the Richmond City Council and California State Assembly. In 2018, he was elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and re-elected in 2022.

Former Los Angeles Mayor and former State Assemblyman, Antonio Villaraigosa entered the race in July 2024.

Betty Yee, vice chair of the California Democratic Party and a former state controller, announced her candidacy in March 2024. She was state budget director for Gov. Gray Davis and then elected to the State board of Equalization. In 2014, she was elected State controller.

The last Republican to be elected governor in California was Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff, was the first Republican to announce his entry for the Republican nomination for the 2026 gubernatorial race. Although the state media has suggested that Steve Hilton, former Fox News host, would seek the nomination.

In his announcement Becerra emphasized his background and career. ““I know what it means to work hard and dream big. My parents came to California with $12 in their pockets. They built a life they were proud of. That’s the promise of California, and I will fight to ensure it’s still within reach for everyone.

“California is the economic engine of America, the fifth-largest economy in the world,” Becerra said in the press release. “That wasn’t luck or accident. It was intentional; it was hard work. We need a leader who will reward hard work, innovation, and endurance again.

California’s gubernatorial primary is June 2, 2026.