Election.orgRaces & polls
2026 · Governor

California governor election

Election Day: November 3, 2026. Meet the published candidates, compare reported surveys and make your voting plan.

Make your voting plan

California

Election Day hours: 7 a.m.–8 p.m. local time

Who is on the November ballot?

November 3, 2026 · 2 printed ballot names · alphabetical

Official November list checked .

November write-in information

California’s voter-nominated offices use the top-two general-election field; primary write-in lists do not establish November write-in eligibility. Official write-in information ↗

Dates for November 3

Download calendar ↓

Partial coverage: only the dated entries below have been checked. Confirm other deadlines and exceptions with your election office.

California · Sourced election dates
ActionDateDetails and source
Register online
Passed
Regular registration deadline; conditional registration remains available afterward
Official source ↗
Register by mail
Passed
Regular registration deadline; conditional registration remains available afterward
Official source ↗
Register in person
Passed
Regular registration deadline; conditional registration remains available afterward
Official source ↗
Early voting begins
Passed
Early voting begins; check local hours and locations
Official source ↗
Early voting ends
3 days left
Election Day: confirm your local in-person voting hours
Official source ↗
Return ballot
3 days left
Hand-delivered ballots by close of polls. Mailed ballots postmarked by November 3 and received by November 10.
Official source ↗

Conditional registration and provisional voting available October 20–November 3; use the official election office. Source ↗

Checked 2026-10-11. Confirm local details and exceptions with your election office.

POLLING · SURVEYS, NOT PREDICTIONS

What do the polls say?

9 survey records

Reported support, with field dates and original sources. Surveys cover 2026 contests, including earlier cycle history from 2025. Older or hypothetical matchups do not establish who is on the current ballot.

Simple average, not a forecast

Last 30 days · Same matchup and population · Equal weight per pollster

Reported support · 0–100%

Likely voters

4 polls

–

  • Xavier Becerra58.5%
  • Steve Hilton34.3%

24.3 pts between the two highest answers

Included surveys & calculation

Add each answer’s reported support across these 4 surveys and divide by 4. No house effects, sample weights, undecided allocation or error band is applied. Figures are not rescaled to total 100%.

How the average works

Each pollster’s latest general-election survey ending within the last 30 days, with equal weight. Reviewed candidate identities join spelling variants; different matchups and voter populations stay separate. Percentages describe reported support, not a chance of winning.

Newest fieldwork appears first. When dates tie, the default favors more pollsters not marked internal or partisan in this 30-day window. Source labels remain visible; this is not a pollster-quality rating. Incomplete numeric matchups are excluded from this calculation but remain in the survey history. Full methodology →

Survey history

Hover or tap a date to see the survey and source.

Polling history for the selected matchup9 survey observations. Vertical scale: reported support from 0 to 80 percent. Select a survey date to read its source. Arrow keys move between dates. Exact figures and source links follow in the survey reports.0%20%40%60%80%Steve Hilton: 34% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Oct 25, 2026 · 1,477 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-30/becerra-widens-lead-in-governors-race-as-voter-focus-shifts-to-trump-new-poll-showsSteve Hilton: 32% · SurveyUSA · Oct 24, 2026 · 799 people surveyed · https://results.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=b118a915-559d-4669-b870-8a3eae933903Steve Hilton: 36% · Emerson College · Oct 19, 2026 · 1,000 people surveyed · https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-xavier-becerra-holds-27-point-lead-over-steve-hilton/Steve Hilton: 35% · University of California Berkeley Jack Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research/Verasight/TrueDot · Oct 14, 2026 · 909 people surveyed · https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/10/21/ramans-apology-and-polling-on-newsom-01128744Steve Hilton: 33% · SurveyUSA · Sep 20, 2026 · 742 people surveyed · https://www.10news.com/americavotes/poll-xavier-becerra-leads-california-gubernatorial-race-in-statewide-surveySteve Hilton: 33% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Sep 20, 2026 · 4,512 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/high-cost-of-living-tops-voter-concerns-becerra-remains-front-runner-in-governors-race-new-poll-showsSteve Hilton: 36% · University of California Berkeley Jack Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research/Verasight/TrueDot · Sep 16, 2026 · 1,983 people surveyed · https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/09/25/xavier-becerras-dispassionate-supporters-01092984Steve Hilton: 37% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Aug 9, 2026 · 2,310 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-13/becerra-holds-strong-lead-over-hilton-in-race-for-california-governor-pollSteve Hilton: 33% · Kreate Strategies · Jun 17, 2026 · 900 people surveyed · https://kstrat.net/press/california-2026-governor-becerra-leads-hilton-juneXavier Becerra: 61% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Oct 25, 2026 · 1,477 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-30/becerra-widens-lead-in-governors-race-as-voter-focus-shifts-to-trump-new-poll-showsXavier Becerra: 54% · SurveyUSA · Oct 24, 2026 · 799 people surveyed · https://results.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=b118a915-559d-4669-b870-8a3eae933903Xavier Becerra: 64% · Emerson College · Oct 19, 2026 · 1,000 people surveyed · https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-xavier-becerra-holds-27-point-lead-over-steve-hilton/Xavier Becerra: 55% · University of California Berkeley Jack Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research/Verasight/TrueDot · Oct 14, 2026 · 909 people surveyed · https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/10/21/ramans-apology-and-polling-on-newsom-01128744Xavier Becerra: 55% · SurveyUSA · Sep 20, 2026 · 742 people surveyed · https://www.10news.com/americavotes/poll-xavier-becerra-leads-california-gubernatorial-race-in-statewide-surveyXavier Becerra: 58% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Sep 20, 2026 · 4,512 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/high-cost-of-living-tops-voter-concerns-becerra-remains-front-runner-in-governors-race-new-poll-showsXavier Becerra: 54% · University of California Berkeley Jack Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research/Verasight/TrueDot · Sep 16, 2026 · 1,983 people surveyed · https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2026/09/25/xavier-becerras-dispassionate-supporters-01092984Xavier Becerra: 55% · UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies · Aug 9, 2026 · 2,310 people surveyed · https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-13/becerra-holds-strong-lead-over-hilton-in-race-for-california-governor-pollXavier Becerra: 58% · Kreate Strategies · Jun 17, 2026 · 900 people surveyed · https://kstrat.net/press/california-2026-governor-becerra-leads-hilton-juneJun 17, 2026Oct 25, 2026
Steve HiltonXavier Becerra

Dots show reported support; connecting lines are not an average or forecast.

How to read this chart

Party colors: Republican red, Democratic blue, Independent purple. Other or unmatched affiliations are gray. Dash patterns distinguish candidates sharing a color.

Dots show reported support. Lines connect surveys over time—not an average or forecast. Pollsters can differ. Missing values and multiple surveys ending on the same date break the lines.

No average, trend estimate, or win probability. Different matchups and populations are not combined. Dates mark the last day people were surveyed. The vertical scale always starts at zero; use “Full 0–100% scale” to compare charts on the same scale. The number of people surveyed is the survey sample size, not the number supporting a candidate. Select “Survey source” to inspect every report, including overlapping dots.

Individual survey reports (9)

Latest surveys · selected matchup

Individual reports. Original sources and methodology below.

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican34%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic61%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
1,477 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Los Angeles Times
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202uc cb254f53
2026 California

SurveyUSA

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican32%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic54%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
799 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
KGTV (San Diego), The San Diego Union Tribune
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202surafe1b671
2026 California

Emerson College

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican36%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic64%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
1,000 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202eme545ba1d8
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican35%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic55%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
909 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Politico
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202uni78d0c8fb
2026 California

SurveyUSA

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican33%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic55%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
742 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
KGTV (San Diego), The San Diego Union Tribune
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202surd1c462e5
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican33%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic58%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
4,512 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Los Angeles Times
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202uc 6d968dc2
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican36%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic54%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
1,983 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Politico
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202uni2551add5
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Steve HiltonRepublican37%
  • Xavier BecerraDemocratic55%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
2,310 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Los Angeles Times
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202uc 82527a3d

Labels and figures are supplied by VoteHub. A listed matchup does not establish ballot qualification or primary/general-election status unless the source explicitly says so. Unlisted responses may include undecided voters or other choices; the displayed figures are not rescaled to total 100%.

Polling compilation: VoteHub · CC BY 4.0. Election.org normalizes dates, matches races, and visualizes reported results; it does not estimate outcomes. Original survey links are attached to each report.

Automatic hourly sync. Across all feeds, the latest survey ended 2026-10-30. Check the field dates above for this selection. Feed update status →

Last successful feed updates
  • Senate: 11/1/2026, 2:17:19 AM UTC · 548 survey records
  • House: 11/1/2026, 2:17:19 AM UTC · 184 survey records
  • Governor: 11/1/2026, 2:17:19 AM UTC · 428 survey records
  • National preference: 11/1/2026, 2:17:19 AM UTC · 545 survey records

An update time is when we checked the feed, not when a survey was conducted. Coverage is not exhaustive.

Follow campaign money

Governor campaigns file with their state’s campaign-finance authorities. Federal candidate totals do not describe this race.

CALIFORNIA FAIR POLITICAL PRACTICES COMMISSION ↗

FRANCHISE TAX BOARD ↗

LOS ANGELES COUNTY REGISTRAR-RECORDER/COUNTY CLERK ↗

SACRAMENTO COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS ↗

SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS ↗

SAN FRANCISCO ETHICS COMMISSION ↗

State campaign-finance sources →

No verified prediction-market match is connected for this race yet. See national House and Senate market prices →

Election inventory: National Governors Association ↗ · checked 2026-10-11. Ballot status comes from the separate state certification when present.