A new poll shows Republican Steve Hilton leading California’s 2026 gubernatorial race.
Emerson College Polling found that Hilton has overtaken former Rep. Katie Porter (D–Irvine) in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The big picture: Hilton now leads the race with 16% support, according to the poll.
- Porter, who has often placed first in polling and has been called the frontrunner in the race by the media, is behind Hilton at 15%.
- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, is in third at 11%.
- Democrats Xavier Becerra and Antonio Villaraigosa both polled at 5%, followed by Tony Thurmond at 3%, Betty Yee at 2%, Ian Calderon at 1% and Stephen Cloobeck at 1%.
- All other candidates combined for 2% of the vote, while the poll found that 39% of voters remain undecided.
Driving the news: Emerson College conducted the poll on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, two weeks after damaging videos of Porter surfaced.
- The first video was of Porter threatening to walk out of an interview with CBS Sacramento after being asked about how she planned to win over Republican voters.
- The second video was of Porter berating a staffer during a video call with former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in July 2021.
Zoom in: The poll also found that Porter holds a high unfavorable rating at 35%, far higher than Hilton at 12% and Bianco at 14%.
- Sen. Alex Padilla, who has been rumored to be interested in the race but has not jumped in yet, carries a 28% unfavorable rating.
What they’re saying: “I’ve been working hard and traveling to every part of California,” Hilton said in a statement to The Sun. “I love this state so much and it breaks my heart to see the pain and struggle for regular working people after 15 years of one party rule. Everyone can see we need change, and some political balance in California.”
