According to a new poll, former Vice President Kamala Harris leads the fictional gubernatorial primary in his California homeland, but half of voters say they don’t think they should enter the race to make the term-limited government Gavin Newsom (D) successful.
A survey from Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill shows that 31% of those planning to vote in a nonpartisan primary would choose Harris when she runs. Former Congressman Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who has already started bidding, came second with 8% support.
Nearly four out of 10 voters, 39%, are yet to be decided in a race that is more than a year away from the primary. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco elicited 4% support, but more than a dozen other names tested won under 2% each.
Harris is considered a clear frontline for the governor if she participates in the race, but the polls have found some relentlessness among voters. Fifty percent of the polls said former California Attorney General and the US Senator should run for governor, while 50% said they shouldn’t.
That disparity comes as the former vice president appears early in voting as the top presidential candidate for the Democratic Party if the former vice president launches his third White House bid in 2028.
Harris has yet to let her know about her plans, but earlier this month she said “I’m not going anywhere.” She reportedly aims to decide on a governor’s campaign by the end of the summer.
Until then, some observers have seen areas that have been frozen just as effectively as donors and candidates ready for her potential admission.
“California’s 2026 Governor Primary depends on whether Harris will run. Other candidates like Katy Porter are conditional on whether the former vice president enters the race.”
Without Harris on the run, Porter’s support among Democrats would rise from 13% to 21%. It highlights the impact of Harris’ decision on the contest.
Democrats are like that I’m hoping for Next year, he will hold a seat at Blue Strong Hold State.
Former Biden Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Beterra joined Democrats earlier this month, former Los Angeles mayor Lt. Colonel Eleniconalakis, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villa Raigosa (D), and former state controller Betty Yi (D).
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (d) decided to oppose the run to governor in February And he spoke to Politico If she ran, he supported Harris and said her candidacy was “field clearing.” On the Republican side, President Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell said that if Harris enters, he “can’t resist.”
The Emerson College Polling California Survey was conducted on April 12-14 with a reliability interval of either positive or negative 3 percentage points, similar to the margin of voting errors among 1,000 registered California voters. The hypothetical key questions for 2026, including only those who said they would vote on primary, had a reliability interval of either plus or minus 3.2 percent points.
