Top candidates in ‘jungle election’ choose California Governor

California voters on June 2 will vote in the primary round of the race, which is considered to be the most chaotic and influential in America today, to choose two candidates in the final round to compete for the seat to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.

The results of the race will contribute to shaping the direction of America’s most populous state, long considered a “testing ground for many progressive policies” and a place that has suffered many attacks from President Donald Trump. Governor Newsom’s successor will also decide how California responds to the Trump administration in the coming years.

California eliminated partisan primaries in 2010 in an effort to reduce political polarization. This state chooses the “jungle election” method, in which all candidates regardless of party appear on one ballot for voters to choose from.

The two candidates who receive the most votes in the “jungle election” will face off directly in the November general election, regardless of which party they belong to. This means that California voters may have to choose between two Democrats or two Republicans in the election to decide the Governor’s seat.

Among the 61 candidates appearing on this year’s ballot, attention and campaign resources are currently focused on a few faces with political experience.

Two surveys in mid- and late May showed Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton in the lead, each supported by about 20% of likely voters. The chasing group includes Tom Steyer, Chad Bianco and Katie Porter, while the remaining candidates have not reached double-digit support rates.

Xavier Becerra, Democrat

Mr. Becerra has 35 years of experience in California and Washington politics. He served as leader of the Democratic Party in the US House of Representatives before being appointed Attorney General of California in 2016, replacing Ms. Kamala Harris, who was then elected as a US senator.

In this position, Becerra sued the Trump administration many times during his first term, becoming one of the most prominent faces of the Democratic Party in the legal confrontation with the White House.

He later joined President Joe Biden’s cabinet, serving as Secretary of Health. This experience profile is central to Becerra’s campaign message, as he builds the image of a seasoned politician capable of running California and dealing with Mr. Trump.

However, Becerra’s operation also entails a lot of pressure. Some former Biden administration officials criticized his tenure at the Department of Health. He was also continuously questioned after a former senior aide was convicted of embezzling his campaign funds.

In April, after Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell, the leading candidate for Governor of California, withdrew due to accusations of sexual assault, Mr. Becerra received support from many parties in California, including large unions.

Steve Hilton, Republican

Mr. Hilton is a conservative commentator and former host of the Fox Newsbut has an unusual starting point compared to many Republican politicians in the US. Born in England, he was a senior advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to the US and becoming a familiar conservative media face in California.

He received Mr. Trump’s support, a factor that helps strengthen his position among Republican voters but can also be a burden in California, a state that leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. During the debates, Mr. Hilton almost avoided mentioning the US President, unless asked directly.

Mr. Hilton called on voters to elect a Republican Governor to create a counterweight to the dominant Democrats in the capital city of Sacramento. During the race, Mr. Hilton focused on living expenses, reducing taxes, and shrinking the size of government. He pledged to exempt income tax for the first 100,000 USD of each person and sharply reduce gasoline prices.

Tom Steyer, Democrat

Mr. Steyer is a billionaire founder of a hedge fund in San Francisco. Before the primary round, he became one of the most popular faces thanks to record campaign spending, largely from personal assets.

This billionaire has never held elected office, but is a familiar face in Democratic politics thanks to his large assets and role as a sponsor of campaigns to combat climate change.

Steyer once poured money into the campaign calling for President Trump’s impeachment during his first term. He then self-funded his campaign in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, but withdrew after unfavorable results in early voting states.

In the race for Governor of California, Steyer built the image of a progressive populist candidate, attacking the influence of interest groups and big businesses in politics.

This message helped him receive support from unusual allies for a billionaire financier, including the political advocacy organization Our Revolution.

Chad Bianco, Republican

Mr. Bianco is the Riverside County Sheriff with a 30-year career in law enforcement. He ran for office with a pledge to tighten crime control, tackle homelessness and focus heavily on social order issues.

A strong Trump supporter, Bianco made national headlines when his office seized 1,000 boxes of election materials, including more than half a million ballots from a 2025 redistricting special election.

He said this was a legitimate criminal investigation, while critics said the move indulged election conspiracy theories once promoted by the MAGA movement.

The document seizure thrust Mr. Bianco into a confrontation with California’s Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta, while also strengthening his image among election-skeptical Republican voters. The state Supreme Court in April ordered him to stop the investigation.

Katie Porter, Democrat

Ms. Porter was a law professor before entering politics, representing Orange County in the US House of Representatives for three terms. She is known for her whiteboard sessions and easy-to-understand policy explanations. She also attracted attention many times when she responded harshly to business leaders in congressional hearings.

Porter relied on her populist and anti-big business image, arguing that she could fight for Californians against powerful interests. Before running, she served as California’s independent monitor in the national settlement with banks following the 2008 mortgage crisis.

Ms. Porter’s policy capacity helped her receive a lot of support from the media. However, she also faced questions about her leadership style. Some leaked videos show her yelling at subordinates during an online meeting, threatening to leave a television interview. She apologized and pledged to behave better.

Antonio Villaraigosa, Democratic Party

Mr. Villaraigosa is the former mayor of Los Angeles and former speaker of the California House of Representatives, but is having difficulty trying to gain momentum after more than 10 years away from public office.

A former union organizer, he became Los Angeles’ first Latino mayor in more than 100 years, leading the city from 2005 to 2013.

During the election campaign, Villaraigosa emphasized his experience running Los Angeles and working in the state legislature, building the image of a moderate, pragmatic politician. According to observers, this tactic is intended to secretly create a difference with Democratic opponents who emphasize progressive messages.

He has a political background in southern California, unlike the last four governorships of Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, both politicians from the San Francisco Bay Area. Villaraigosa ran for governor in 2018 but only finished third in the primary round.