After former Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Wednesday that she wouldn’t run for California governor, the field opened up for various candidates.

California will elect a new governor in 2026, as incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) will be termed out. In such a deep blue state, the winner of the Democratic primary is nearly certain to win the general election.

Recommended Stories

• Kamala Harris ally Katy Perry dines with Justin Trudeau in Montreal, stirring speculation
• Kamala Harris announces she will not run for California governor in 2026
• Mamdani defies antisemitism fears in poll showing commanding lead with NYC Jewish voters

Here are the top contenders to replace Newsom, with Harris now out of the picture.

Katie Porter

Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter entered the race on March 11 and is the front-runner. She was elected in 2018 to represent a district historically represented by Republicans. She was a vocal, anti-Trump voice during her time in Congress.

Porter opted to run for Senate during the 2024 elections and lost in the Democratic primary to Sen. Adam Schiff, who went on to beat Steve Garvey in the general election.

Earlier in her career, Porter was appointed by then-Attorney General Harris in 2012 as California’s independent monitor of a $25 billion national mortgage settlement.

With Harris as the previous polling favorite, Porter was the second most popular Democrat in the polls.

Xavier Becerra

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra launched his campaign in April. He has over 30 years of experience representing California, serving in a district representing neighborhoods around Downtown Los Angeles from 1993 through 2017. He was also chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

In 2017, then-Gov. Jerry Brown chose him to replace Kamala Harris as California’s attorney general after she was elected to the Senate. He became HHS secretary in March 2021 and held the position for the rest of Joe Biden’s presidency.

Following Harris’s announcement that she wouldn’t run, Becerra appeared to link himself to her, saying he was “proud of our shared record.” This move isn’t surprising, given that Harris polled 57% among California Democrats.

Eleni Kounalakis

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis was elected to her current position after a grassroots campaign that saw her visit all of California’s 58 counties. As California’s No. 2, Kounalakis has gone so far to prove her progressive stances that she’s often gone ahead of Newsom, even going against him in asking California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to exclude Trump from the state’s 2024 primary.

Kounalakis launched her bid for governor over three years before Election Day, announcing in April 2023.

Konalakis also praised Harris after her announcement to leave the race.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Antonio Villaraigosa served as Los Angeles mayor from 2005 to 2013 and has since spent his time in advocacy. He experienced a blistering loss in the 2018 gubernatorial election, coming in third place, but is now hoping for another shot.

KATIE PORTER STUCK IN WAITING GAME IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Villaraigosa has catered much of his message toward affordability and economic growth.

Like the other candidates, Villaraigosa praised Harris’s decision not to run for governor.