FILE – California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at a Clean California event in San Francisco on November 9, 2023. On Sunday, February 25, 2024, nearly $200 million in grants will be donated to California cities and counties to help move homeless people out of the state. Newsom announced on Thursday, April 18, 2024, that encampments would be forced into housing and promised increased oversight of local government efforts to reduce homelessness. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
California will have a big decision to make when choosing its next governor. Voters won't have their say officially until the June 2026 primary, but the race is heating up now with several candidates vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose term ends in 2027.
Several people have already announced their candidacy, and the field to become the state's next chief executive is expected to be large. And with each announcement, or lack thereof, an opinion is generated about whether a candidate is qualified to take on the gigantic task of governor.
The following is a collection of recent opinions from editorial board members and columnists about California's next governor.
Chad Bianco
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco made headlines when he announced that he is considering running for governor of California. Our editorial board writes that he will be the highest-profile Republican candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial campaign. And given his track record of scandal as sheriff, he would also be a very bad idea.read more
Xavier Becerra
Our editorial board wrote that it was surprised by reports that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and congressman, is considering a run for governor in 2026. Given his policies, his obvious disdain for the First and Second Amendments, and his willingness to subvert norms to serve his party, there could be no worse decision.read more
rob bonta
Amid a seemingly endless stream of press releases and press conferences touting successes, columnist Dan Walters says California Attorney General Rob Bonta is doing more than just transparency. I think it might be. Walters wonders if Bonta is actually vying for Newsom's seat and analyzes his potential strategies among already announced candidates.read more
kamala harris
If Biden loses in November, Vice President Kamala Harris will need to prove a lot about her electoral appeal before she can consider running for president again, as she briefly did in 2020. right. Columnist Thomas D. Elias writes that the 2026 campaign is: Because the prefect is the perfect place for her to prove herself and thinks about her chances of success.read more
