Well this is a bit of a surprise.. Though personally, I don’t think there is anyway in hell that a Republicans wins the California governor election next year, Steve Hilton is currently leading the field against everyone, including nut ball Katie Porter.
CALIFORNIA POLL
2026 Gubernatorial Primary
Steve Hilton (R) 16%
Katie Porter (D) 15%
Chad Bianco (R) 11%
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) 5%
Xavier Becerra (D) 5%
39% undecidedOct. 20-21, n=900 LVs, MOE +/- 3.2%https://t.co/rags2icvBg pic.twitter.com/2tK4OqBcIP
— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) October 24, 2025
There will likely be other Democrats who jump into the race between now and then, like Jose Padilla, but this poll is very intriguing. Two of the top three in this Emerson poll (not exactly known for being a right wing poll) are Republicans.