California holds crowded primary with dozens of candidates to replace Newsom

By — Sophie Austin, Associated Press Sophie Austin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/california-holds-crowded-primary-with-dozens-of-candidates-to-replace-newsom Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter California holds crowded primary with dozens of candidates to replace Newsom Politics Jun 2, 2026 6:24 PM EDT SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's gubernatorial primary comes to a close Tuesday as voters choose from an extensive field of candidates hoping to replace termed-out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The end of the voting period, which began in early May, concludes a chaotic contest without a clear front-runner. Candidates tried to elbow each other out in the final stretch as each sought to convince voters that they were best prepared to lead the most populous state and one of the world's largest economies. READ MORE: Live Results: California midterm primaries California puts all candidates on a single primary ballot regardless of party, and the top two finishers advance to the November general election. About 60 candidates were on the ballot, most of them largely unknown to the state's roughly 23 million voters. On the Democratic side, top contenders include Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary; Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate activist; Katie Porter, a former member of Congress; and Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose. The two most prominent Republicans are conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The Democrats campaigned on fighting Trump administration attacks on the state's liberal policies, while Republicans vowed to bring change after more than 15 years of Democratic leadership in Sacramento. But the through line of the race was how to tackle the state's notoriously high cost of living. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Drivers were paying $6.08 per gallon at the pump as of the end of May, $1.65 higher than the national average, according to AAA. Meanwhile the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has estimated that the typical home is about $775,000, more than double the national average. And Californians pay the second-highest residential electricity rates behind Hawaii, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Some candidates proposed suspending the state's gas taxes, which total roughly 70 cents a gallon, while others floated subsidizing in-state tuition at public colleges. A few of the Democrats said they would eliminate private health insurance in favor of a government-run system with no premiums, while the Republicans vowed to increase oil and gas production and reduce regulations. "The truth is that we've gone off track — we've got one-party rule," Hilton said at a debate in May. "The results have been such a disappointment. It is time for some balance."