Preliminary Candidate List

Key Points

• The 2026 California elections include Governor, State Board of Equalization, State Senate (even-numbered districts), State Assembly (all districts), and U.S. House (all California districts).

• Announced Governor candidates include Democrats Toni Atkins, Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Republican Chad Bianco.

• Many candidates for other positions have not yet announced, so current officeholders are assumed to be running for re-election.

Governor Candidates

The race for Governor in 2026 is open as incumbent Gavin Newsom is term-limited. Several candidates have already announced their runs, including:

• Democrats: Toni Atkins, Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, Antonio Villaraigosa.

• Republican: Chad Bianco.

• California First: Kyle Langford

This early start reflects the competitive nature of California's gubernatorial race, with a diverse field vying for the state's top office.

State Board of Equalization

All four seats on the State Board of Equalization are up for election in 2026. As of now, no official candidates have announced, so we assume the current members are running for re-election:

• District 1: Ted Gains (Republican)

• District 2: Mike McGuire (Democrat)

• District 3: Christopher Cabaldon (Democrat)

• District 4: Marie Alvarado-Gil (Republican)

State Senate

The even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40) are up for election, totaling 20 seats. Current senators for these districts, assumed to be running, include:

• District 2: Mike McGuire (Democrat)

• District 4: Marie Alvarado-Gil (Republican)

• District 6: Roger Niello (Republican)

• District 8: Angelique Ashby (Democrat)

• District 10: Aisha Wahab (Democrat)

• District 12: Shannon Grove (Republican)

• District 14: Anna Caballero (Democrat)

• District 16: Melissa Hurtado (Democrat)

• District 18: Steve Padilla (Democrat)

• District 20: Caroline Menjivar (Democrat)

• District 22: Monique Limón (Democrat)

• District 24: Benjamin Allen (Democrat)

• District 26: Kelly Seyarto (Republican)

• District 28: Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (Democrat)

• District 30: Bob Archuleta (Democrat)

• District 32: Tom Umberg (Democrat)

• District 34: Akilah Weber (Democrat)

• District 36: Laura Richardson (Democrat)

• District 38: Catherine Blakespear (Democrat)

• District 40: Brian Jones (Republican)

State Assembly and U.S. House

Both the State Assembly (all 80 districts) and U.S. House (all 52 California districts) have all seats up for election in 2026. Given the early stage, no new candidates have widely announced, so we list current members as potential candidates:

• State Assembly includes members like Heather Hutt (District 1, Democrat) and David A. Alvarez (District 80, Democrat).

• U.S. House includes representatives like Doug LaMalfa (District 1, Republican) and Juan Vargas (District 52, Democrat).

Surprising Detail: Early Announcements

It's surprising how early some candidates, especially for Governor, have announced their runs, with campaigns starting over a year before the election, reflecting the high stakes and cost of California's political races.

Comprehensive Analysis of 2026 California Election Candidates

This report provides a detailed examination of the candidates for various elected positions in California for the 2026 elections, based on available information as of February 2025. The analysis covers the Governor, State Board of Equalization, California State Senate, California State Assembly, and U.S. House of Representatives, addressing the user's request for a list of all candidates running for these positions. Given the early stage, many candidates have not yet announced, so we assume current officeholders are running for re-election unless otherwise noted.

Governor Race Overview

The 2026 California gubernatorial election is significant as incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election, opening the race for a new leader. The election will feature a statewide top-two primary on June 2, 2026, followed by the general election on November 3, 2026. As of February 2025, several candidates have announced their campaigns, reflecting the competitive nature of this race in a state with a Democratic supermajority.

• Announced Candidates:

  • Democrats: Toni Atkins, Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee, Antonio Villaraigosa. These candidates include current and former statewide officials, highlighting the depth of Democratic contenders.

  • Republican: Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, announced his run on February 17, 2025, promising to bring change and common sense to government, blaming Democratic policies for state issues.

This early announcement phase, with over 10 candidates already declared according to some sources, suggests a crowded field expected to expand further, potentially making history with the first female or person of color governor, given California's diverse political landscape.

State Board of Equalization

The California State Board of Equalization, responsible for tax administration and fee collection, has four elected district seats up for election in 2026, each serving four-year terms. The current members, elected in 2022, are:

District	Current Member	Party
1	Ted Gains	Republican
2	Mike McGuire	Democrat
3	Christopher Cabaldon	Democrat
4	Marie Alvarado-Gil	Republican

As of February 2025, no official candidates have filed for these seats, with the candidate filing period starting in December 2025. Given the lack of announcements, we assume the incumbents are running for re-election, based on their current tenure and typical political behavior. This assumption is supported by the absence of information indicating otherwise, though potential challengers may emerge closer to the filing deadline.

California State Senate

The California State Senate, with 40 seats and four-year terms, has its election cycle affected by the 2020 redistricting, where all seats were up in 2022. Post-redistricting, the terms are staggered, with even-numbered districts (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40) up for election in 2026, totaling 20 seats. The current senators for these districts, based on the Senate's official website and cross-referenced with Ballotpedia, are:

District	Current Senator	Party
2	Mike McGuire	Democrat
4	Marie Alvarado-Gil	Republican
6	Roger Niello	Republican
8	Angelique Ashby	Democrat
10	Aisha Wahab	Democrat
12	Shannon Grove	Republican
14	Anna Caballero	Democrat
16	Melissa Hurtado	Democrat
18	Steve Padilla	Democrat
20	Caroline Menjivar	Democrat
22	Monique Limón	Democrat
24	Benjamin Allen	Democrat
26	Kelly Seyarto	Republican
28	Lola Smallwood-Cuevas	Democrat
30	Bob Archuleta	Democrat
32	Tom Umberg	Democrat
34	Akilah Weber	Democrat
36	Laura Richardson	Democrat
38	Catherine Blakespear	Democrat
40	Brian Jones	Republican

These senators were elected in 2022 for terms ending in 2026, and as of February 2025, no challengers have widely announced their runs. Thus, we list the incumbents as potential candidates, acknowledging that the field may expand as the election approaches, with the filing period opening in early 2026.

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly, with 80 seats and two-year terms, has all seats up for election in 2026, as is standard for even-numbered years. The current members, based on the Assembly's official website, are:

District	Current Member	Party
1	Heather Hutt	Democrat
2	Chris Holden	Democrat
3	James Ramos	Democrat
4	Cecilia Aguiar-Curry	Democrat
5	Joe Simitian	Democrat
6	Kevin McCarty	Democrat
7	Josh Hoover	Republican
8	Jim Cooper	Democrat
9	Devon Mathis	Republican
10	Gail Pellerin	Democrat
11	Lori Wilson	Democrat
12	Damon Connolly	Democrat
13	Matt Haney	Democrat
14	Buffy Wicks	Democrat
15	Ash Kalra	Democrat
16	Rebecca Bauer-Kahan	Democrat
17	Mia Bonta	Democrat
18	Phil Ting	Democrat
19	Marc Levine	Democrat
20	Evan Low	Democrat
21	Kansen Chu	Democrat
22	Carlos Villapudua	Democrat
23	Marc Steinorth	Republican
24	Greg Wallis	Republican
25	Wendy Carrillo	Democrat
26	Rosanna Sanchez	Democrat
27	Miguel Santiago	Democrat
28	Blanca Pacheco	Democrat
29	Freddie Rodriguez	Democrat
30	Luz Rivas	Democrat
31	Wendy Carrillo	Democrat
32	Mike Fong	Democrat
33	Tom Lackey	Republican
34	Suzette Martinez Valladares	Republican
35	Jasmeet Bains	Democrat
36	Tom Lackey	Republican
37	Gregg Hart	Democrat
38	Steve Bennett	Democrat
39	Devon Mathis	Republican
40	Pilar Schiavo	Democrat
41	Wendy Carillo	Democrat
42	Jacqui Irwin	Democrat
43	Laura Friedman	Democrat
44	Chris Holden	Democrat
45	James Ramos	Democrat
46	Jesse Gabriel	Democrat
47	Greg Wallis	Republican
48	Blanca Pacheco	Democrat
49	Mike Fong	Democrat
50	Robert Garcia	Democrat
51	Rick Zbur	Democrat
52	Lisa Calderon	Democrat
53	Wendy Carillo	Democrat
54	Joaquin Arambula	Democrat
55	Steven Bradford	Democrat
56	Cottie Petrie-Norris	Democrat
57	Sharon Quirk-Silva	Democrat
58	Kate Sanchez	Republican
59	Phillip Chen	Republican
60	Mike Gipson	Democrat
61	Tina McKinnor	Democrat
62	Lisa Calderon	Democrat
63	Bill Essayli	Republican
64	Sabrina Cervantes	Democrat
65	Mike Gipson	Democrat
66	Al Muratsuchi	Democrat
67	Sharon Quirk-Silva	Democrat
68	Avelino Valencia	Democrat
69	Tom Umberg	Democrat
70	Steven Choi	Republican
71	Kate Sanchez	Republican
72	Janet Nguyen	Republican
73	Cottie Petrie-Norris	Democrat
74	Laurie Davies	Republican
75	Carl DeMaio	Republican
76	Dr. Darshana Patel	Democrat
77	Tasha Boerner	Democrat
78	Christopher Ward	Democrat
79	Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins	Democrat
80	David A. Alvarez	Democrat

Note that District 32 is currently vacant, which may affect the candidate field in 2026, with special elections potentially influencing the final list.

U.S. House of Representatives

California's 52 congressional districts will all have elections in 2026, as U.S. House terms are two years, with elections in even-numbered years. The current representatives, based on GovTrack.us and Wikipedia, are:

District	Current Representative	Party
1	Doug LaMalfa	Republican
2	Jared Huffman	Democrat
3	John Garamendi	Democrat
4	Mike Thompson	Democrat
5	Tom McClintock	Republican
6	Ami Bera	Democrat
7	Doris Matsui	Democrat
8	Jay Obernolte	Republican
9	Josh Harder	Democrat
10	Mark DeSaulnier	Democrat
11	Nancy Pelosi	Democrat
12	Barbara Lee	Democrat
13	John Duarte	Republican
14	Eric Swalwell	Democrat
15	Kevin Mullin	Democrat
16	Anna Eshoo	Democrat
17	Ro Khanna	Democrat
18	Zoe Lofgren	Democrat
19	Jimmy Panetta	Democrat
20	Jim Costa	Democrat
21	David Valadao	Republican
22	Salud Carbajal	Democrat
23	Judy Chu	Democrat
24	Salud Carbajal	Democrat
25	Raul Ruiz	Democrat
26	Julia Brownley	Democrat
27	Mike Garcia	Republican
28	Adam Schiff	Democrat
29	Tony Cárdenas	Democrat
30	Brad Sherman	Democrat
31	Grace Napolitano	Democrat
32	Ted Lieu	Democrat
33	Pete Aguilar	Democrat
34	Jimmy Gomez	Democrat
35	Norma Torres	Democrat
36	Ted Lieu	Democrat
37	Sydney Kamlager-Dove	Democrat
38	Linda Sanchez	Democrat
39	Gil Cisneros	Democrat
40	Young Kim	Republican
41	Ken Calvert	Republican
42	Robert J. Menedez	Democrat
43	Max Miller	Republican
44	Nanette Barragán	Democrat
45	Michelle Steel	Republican
46	Lou Correa	Democrat
47	Katie Porter	Democrat
48	Dana Rohrabacher	Republican
49	Mike Levin	Democrat
50	Scott Peters	Democrat
51	Sara Jacobs	Democrat
52	Juan Vargas	Democrat

As with other positions, no widespread announcements for challengers have been made as of February 2025, so we list the incumbents as potential candidates, noting that the field may expand closer to the election.

Methodology and Assumptions

The analysis relied on official state websites for the California State Senate (California State Senate Senators), California State Assembly (California State Assembly Members), and U.S. House representation from GovTrack.us (California Congressional Members). For the Governor, candidate announcements were sourced from news articles and Wikipedia (2026 California Gubernatorial Election). The State Board of Equalization candidates were assumed based on current incumbents due to the lack of filed candidates, with filing deadlines in late 2025 (California Secretary of State Key Dates).

Given the early stage, the assumption that incumbents are running for re-election is standard in political analysis, though it may not reflect final candidate lists. The report acknowledges potential changes, especially for vacant seats like Assembly District 32, and notes the need for updated information closer to the election.

Key Observations

• The Governor's race is notably competitive, with early announcements reflecting the high cost and visibility of the position, potentially leading to a historic first for female or minority representation.

• The lack of announced candidates for many positions underscores the early stage, with filing periods still months away, suggesting a dynamic field as the election nears.

• California's political landscape, with a Democratic supermajority, influences candidate strategies, particularly for Republicans like Chad Bianco, who must appeal to a broad electorate.

This comprehensive list provides a foundation for tracking the 2026 elections, with updates expected as candidates formally announce and primaries approach.

Key Citations

• 2026 California gubernatorial election Wikipedia

• California State Senate Senators

• California State Assembly Members

• California Congressional Members GovTrack

• California Secretary of State Key Dates