By
Ed Kilgore,
political columnist for Intelligencer since 2015
One of these guys is likely the next governor of California.
The 2026 California governor’s race started off quiet and rather boring, with a big field of too many lackluster Democrats and a couple of lackluster Republicans competing in the state’s non-partisan top-two primary system. It began to heat up as Democrats grew to fear a Republican “lockout,” in which GOP candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco might finish first and second, denying California’s majority party any chance at the governorship. Then last month, the contest was totally upended. First Donald Trump endorsed Hilton, dampening GOP lockout hopes. Then Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded over sexual misconduct allegations, leading him to quit the race and then resign from Congress. The race was in flux just as mail ballots went out to every registered voter in the state at the beginning of May.
