California governor polls 2026

Governor election 3 Nov 2026, in 3 days.

Xavier Becerra leads the polling average with 58.1%, 22.5 points ahead of Steve Hilton.

Average

Updated 34 minutes ago

Xavier Becerra 58.1 +3.4

Steve Hilton 35.6 +1.0

Xavier BecerraSteve Hilton

Xavier BecerraSteve Hilton

Immigration

ExpandRestrictRemigration

Economy

Free marketState-directed

Christian identity

SecularChristian

Abortion

Broad accessProtect unborn life

Marriage & family

Individual choiceTraditional

National culture

CosmopolitanPreserve heritage

Subsidiarity

CentraliseDevolve

Technology

Light-touchRein in Big Tech

Scores and reasons written by AI. Methodology

Why these scores

Xavier Becerra: 2.5 of 10 As attorney general defended DACA and sued over Trump's border-wall emergency
Steve Hilton: 7 of 10 Trump-endorsed; would end California's sanctuary limits and cooperate with ICE deportations

Xavier Becerra: 5.5 of 10 Co-sponsored single-payer bills in Congress; as HHS chief ran Medicare drug-price negotiation
Steve Hilton: 2 of 10 Would exempt first $150,000 of income from state tax and cut spending below $300 billion

Xavier Becerra: 1.5 of 10 As attorney general sued to make Little Sisters of the Poor provide contraception
Steve Hilton: 3.5 of 10 No religion-in-public-life proposals; backs school-choice funding usable at religious schools

Xavier Becerra: 1 of 10 As HHS secretary expanded abortion access after Dobbs; opposed sex-selective abortion ban
Steve Hilton: 3 of 10 Says he would not change California's abortion laws

Xavier Becerra: 1.5 of 10 As HHS secretary defended gender-affirming care; backs California's LGBTQ protections
Steve Hilton: 5 of 10 Opposes trans girls in girls' sports; pledges 12 weeks' paid parental leave and home help for new parents

Xavier Becerra: 2.5 of 10 Championed National Museum of the American Latino in Congress; backs immigrant-inclusive state policy
Steve Hilton: 5 of 10 No heritage or language proposals; campaign centres on cost of living, crime and state spending

Xavier Becerra: 4.5 of 10 Filed 122 suits against Trump policies as attorney general, but backs federal health mandates like the ACA
Steve Hilton: 6 of 10 Backs education funding following families and restoring city control over street vending

Xavier Becerra: 5.5 of 10 As attorney general joined Facebook antitrust suit and began enforcing California consumer privacy law
Steve Hilton: 6.5 of 10 Pledges social media minimum age 16 and school phone ban, but opposes new AI rules like SB 813

Date	Pollster	Becerra	Hilton
25 Oct	Berkeley IGS	61	34
24 Oct	SurveyUSA	54	32
23 Oct	M3 Strategies (R)	59	36
22 Oct	PPIC	61	37
20 Oct	McLaughlin & Associates (R)	55	39
19 Oct	Emerson College+1 scenario	60	33
16 Oct	ActiVote	63	37
14 Oct	UC Berkeley Citrin Center/TrueDot/Politico	55	35
1 Oct	Manhattan Institute (R)	57	39
28 Sept	Independent Voter Project	48	38
20 Sept	Berkeley IGS	58	33
20 Sept	SurveyUSA	55	33
14 Sept	UC Berkeley Citrin Center/TrueDot/Politico+1 scenario	48	34
10 Sept	PPIC	60	38