With the primary election coming up on June 2nd, California voters must know the issues and candidates of the governor’s race. Current Governor Gavin Newsom cannot run again because his term limit is up, so the election is very much open. The system works as a “jungle primary,” meaning that the top two candidates voted for in the primary election move on, regardless of party affiliation. 

There are actually over sixty candidates, but only six are polling high enough to be seriously considered for the win. These include Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Matt Mahan, Steve Hilton, and Chad Bianco. 

Xavier Becerra is the highest polling Democratic candidate according to a recent poll by the California Democratic Party. Becerra previously held roles as California Attorney General and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). His policies include a single-payer healthcare system and using aggressive state intervention to combat cost-of-living increases. 

Katie Porter is another Democrat polling relatively high. She is a progressive congresswoman and often appeals to left-leaning voters. Porter proposes eliminating state income tax for those earning under $100,000 and implementing tuition-free university education (UC/CSU) for all Californians. Porter has faced controversy regarding her managing style, but has since apologized. 

Tom Steyer is a unique candidate in that he is both progressive and a billionaire. He is running on a campaign focused on climate action and combatting economic inequality. Some voters have criticized Steyer, citing the fact that, according to documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the hedgefund Farallon Capital Management invested heavily in one of the nation’s largest prison firms while under Steyer’s lead. 

Matt Mahan, the last important candidate affiliated with the Democratic Party, is more pro-business than the other candidates.

Mahan is running on a “back to basics” campaign focused on stability. He also wants to solve the homelessness issue with quick, cheap, tiny homes. That said, significant campaign contributions from tech executives, including Sergey Brin of Google and Joe Lonsdale of Palantir, have caused critics to label him a candidate who might prioritize tech interests over public regulation.

Now into the republican candidates: Steve Hilton is the highest polling Republican candidate according to the California Democratic Party. Hilton is a former Fox News host and focuses on issues like leading in the field of Artificial Intelligence, reviving the film industry, and a flat tax of 7.5% on incomes over $100,000. It is also important to add that Hilton received endorsement from Donald Trump. 

Finally, Chad Bianco. Bianco is polling the second highest among Republican candidates, and advocates for increased funding and resources for law enforcement, strongly opposing “defund the police” efforts. 

The essence of this election is that it is extremely open, and there is no clear frontrunner. Also, in such a blue state where almost half of voters are registered Democrats, and only about a quarter Republicans, Republican governor candidates are very competitive. This is mainly due to the jungle primary concept, and the fact that Democrats are split between more candidates. The entire election essentially hinges on whether Democrats consolidate votes to a fewer number of candidates or stay divided and risk being shut out.