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Californians often feel like their vote doesn’t matter because California is a historically and predominantly blue state. While the blue precedent is true, this year’s Governor’s race highlights why voting is important, especially in this upcoming election.

The primary race for Governor is being held on June 2, 2026. This election is different from other elections in the country, because of the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, passed in 2011. Summarized, the two people running for Governor in the general election are simply the two who get the most votes in the primary, no matter their party.

Long time Governor Gavin Newsom is termed out after this year, so new Democrats are clamoring to get that open seat.

Eight Democrats in total are running, meaning the Democratic vote could be split eight ways if they don’t consolidate themselves by the time the ballots are printed.

On the other side, the Republicans have only two candidates to choose from. So, with a more consolidated pool of candidates, they could be the top two vote-getters, and the reliably blue state might end up with two Republican nominees for Governor for the first time in history.

In a recent poll from UC Berkeley, the top two candidates are in fact both of the Republican nominees.

This election comes at the height of tensions regarding federal government overreach by the Trump administration, and ICE raids across the country.

To aid Solano Community College Students in their voting options, here is a breakdown of all the significant candidates, the issues they’re running on, and any notable experience they might have in regards to those issues.

The Candidates (in alphabetical order):

Democrat:

Xavier Becerra website

• Former California Attorney General and Health and Human Services Secretary under President Biden.
• Running on: Single-payer healthcare, fighting Donald Trump, affordable living and housing, clean and affordable energy, and disaster preparedness.
• Noted experiences: Sued Trump 122 times as CA’s Attorney General.

NOTE: While researching Becerra’s website earlier in the day on 3/24, there was another issue on his priority list, which was keeping LGBT and women’s rights safe. Later in the day I went to confirm his priorities, and that particular priority was gone from his website.

Matt Mahan website

• Current Mayor of San Jose.
• Running on: Affordable housing, ending homelessness including mental health, drug, and alcohol support, accountability from the state government in regards to spending, and better middle-class education.
• Noted experience: While he was mayor, San Jose became the safest major city in America according to data analysed by SmartAsset.

Katie Porter website

• Former U.S. Congresswoman representing Orange County.
• Running on: Defending healthcare against Trump, a thriving California economy, affordable housing and living, environmental protection, and disaster preparedness.
• Noted experience: Her bill, the Freedom From Price Gouging Act, stopped insurance companies from “wrongfully denying care, and saving patients billions from drug companies’ price gouging.” as stated on her website.

Tom Steyer website

• Billionaire and former presidential candidate.
• Running on: affordable housing, closing corporate tax loopholes, lower electric bills, free education, stopping ICE, environmental protection, affordable healthcare, and investing in AI.
• Noted experience: Co-founded a Community Development Financial Institution, called Beneficial State Bank that has financed over 17,000 affordable housing units.

Eric Swalwell website (Update: Eric Swalwell has since dropped out of the race due to sexual misconduct and assault allegations.)

• U.S. Congressman representing parts of the East Bay, including Dublin, Livermore, Hayward, and Fremont.
• Running on: standing up to Trump and unmasking ICE, affordable housing, cutting taxes to boost the economy, and digital governance with his CalApp.
• Notable experience: He served as the Impeachment Manager (the prosecutor), of Trump’s impeachment trial.

Tony Thurmond website

• Superintendent of Public Instruction (oversees the California Department of Education) from Contra Costa County.
• Running on: a “brighter future for California’s children.” There were no other policies stated on his website.
• Noted experience: In 2023, he won the Presidents Award from the Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Antonio Villaraigosa website

• Former California State Assembly Speaker and Mayor of Los Angeles.
• Running on: standing up to Trump, boosting infrastructure, reforming the California Environmental Quality Act, stopping illegal ICE activities, lowering gas prices, and a pro-crypto California government.
• Notable experience: While Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005-2013, the city hired 1,000 new police officers and brought violent crime rates down by 48%.

Betty Yee website  (Update: Betty Yee has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Tom Steyer.)

• Former California State Controller (managed the state’s financial resources) from San Francisco.
• Running on: environmental issues, economic mobility, heavily boosting education, affordable and accessible healthcare, affordable housing, and non-incarceration public safety solutions.
• Notable experience: As controller she uncovered $7.3 billion dollars of mismanaged spending in the state and local governments, and redirected that money into other funding.

Republican:

Chad Bianco website

• Sheriff from Riverside County.
• Running on: strengthening law enforcement, affordability, reforming public education, securing the border, removing homeless encampments and expanding treatment, eliminating over-regulation for affordable housing, protecting California farmers, modernizing the energy grid, stopping insurance companies from leaving California clients, disaster preparedness, and cutting gas taxes.
• Notable experience: Deputy in Riverside County for 31 years and Sheriff since 2019, also on the Board of Directors for the California State Sheriffs’ Association.

Steve Hilton website

• British author, fox news contributor.
• Running on: cutting personal, business, and housing taxes, cutting business regulations, reducing government spending, ensuring all students meet math and English standards, and strengthening law enforcement. Hilton has 18 policies listed on his website, but the issues previously listed are his main priorities for this race.
• Notable experience: former adviser to conservative British prime minister David Cameron.

The Peace and Freedom Party:

Ramsey Robinson website

• Mental health social worker, organizer, and self proclaimed revolutionary from San Francisco. Member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
• Running on: redistributing wealth, affordable housing, free universal healthcare, free education, making California a sanctuary state free from ICE, building a statewide energy system, environmental protection, Union jobs, reparations for black Americans by investing in their communities, defending women’s and LGBTQ rights, and divesting from Israel.
• Notable experience: He has been an activist and organizer for many years in regards to climate change, workers rights, and more recently ICE raids.

NOTE: The Pulse interviewed Ramsey Robinson, which you can read here.

Further investigate any candidates you are drawn to from this list, as they all have a different approach to these issues. A list of issues doesn’t tell the whole story of each candidate or their approach. Learning as much as possible about the candidates is helpful to make the best informed decision as a voter.

Whatever county you live in, make sure you’re registered to vote at your current address. You can register up until and on election day June 2, 2026. All ballots will be sent out on May 4, 2026, the same day Early Voting Sites open where you can drop off your vote-by-mail ballots. Every registered voter in California will be sent a ballot in the mail. You can find your local polling places here.

Update 04/15/2026: This story has been updated to reflect the current running candidates for the California Governors race.

Update 04/23/2026: This story has been updated to reflect the current running candidates for the California Governors race.