# Statewide Races — California General Election, November 3, 2026
*Nonpartisan research notes for a voter in Almaden Valley, San Jose (Santa Clara County). Compiled 2026-11-03. Nothing here is a recommendation.*

## How to read this
- **Who is on the ballot** comes from the CA Secretary of State's **Certified List of Candidates for the November 3, 2026 General Election** (dated Aug. 27, 2026): https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-general/cert-list-candidates.pdf
- **June 2, 2026 primary results** come from the SoS **official Statement of Vote** (certified): https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results/primary-election-june-2-2026/statement-vote (summary pages: https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2026-primary/sov/06-sov-summary.pdf ; BOE by county: https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2026-primary/sov/73-boe.pdf)
- California uses a top-two primary: the two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party, so two candidates of the same party can meet in November (this year: Insurance Commissioner and BOE District 2).
- Party shown is the candidate's party preference as printed on the ballot. Ballot designations are the candidates' own 3-word job descriptions as certified by the SoS.
- Anything not confirmed by a reputable source is marked **unconfirmed**. Candidate websites are self-reported and labeled that way.
- Newspaper endorsements: many found were from the **spring primary**; general-election (fall) editorial endorsements could not be confirmed for most races. Each entry says which.

## U.S. Senate: no race in 2026
**Confirmed: there is no U.S. Senate race in California on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.** The SoS certified list of candidates for the general election contains no U.S. Senate contest, and the June 2026 Statement of Vote has none. Sen. Alex Padilla's term runs through January 2029 (next election 2028); Sen. Adam Schiff's runs through January 2031 (next election 2030).

## Quick reference

| Race | Seat status | Candidate (party) — June 2 % | Candidate (party) — June 2 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Open (Newsom term-limited) | Xavier Becerra (D) — 28.0% | Steve Hilton (R) — 24.6% |
| Lieutenant Governor | Open (Kounalakis term-limited) | Fiona Ma (D) — 19.1% | Gloria Romero (R) — 17.8% |
| Attorney General | Incumbent running | Rob Bonta* (D) — 56.6% | Michael E. Gates (R) — 37.9% |
| Secretary of State | Incumbent running | Shirley N. Weber* (D) — 58.7% | Don Wagner (R) — 36.7% |
| Treasurer | Open (Ma term-limited) | Eleni Kounalakis (D) — 36.7% | Jennifer Hawks (R) — 24.0% |
| Controller | Incumbent running | Malia M. Cohen* (D) — 56.8% | Herb W Morgan (R) — 37.5% |
| Insurance Commissioner | Open (Lara term-limited) | Jane Kim (D) — 27.4% | Ben Allen (D) — 19.4% |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction (nonpartisan) | Open (Thurmond term-limited) | Sonja Shaw — 22.6% | Richard Barrera — 20.3% |
| Board of Equalization, **District 2** (includes Santa Clara County) | Incumbent running | Sally J. Lieber* (D) — 56.8% (district-wide) | John Pimentel (D) — 15.8% (district-wide) |

\* = incumbent. Percentages are statewide (district-wide for BOE) from the official SoS Statement of Vote.

**Judicial retention (Yes/No votes, no opponents):**
- California Supreme Court (all counties): Associate Justices **Kelli M. Evans** and **Joshua P. Groban**.
- Court of Appeal, **Sixth Appellate District** (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito): Associate Justices **Daniel H. Bromberg**, **Charles E. Wilson II**, **Charles F. Adams**, **Allison Marston Danner**, and Superior Court Judge **Frederick S. Chung** (confirmed to succeed retiring Justice Adrienne Grover).

**Which BOE district is San Jose in?** Under the current (2021) maps, Santa Clara County is in **BOE District 2**. Confirmed by the SoS Statement of Vote, which reports Santa Clara County's votes under the 2nd BOE District (Lieber 204,651; Pimentel 59,864 in Santa Clara County). District 2 spans 19 mostly coastal/Bay Area/North Coast counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Sonoma.

---

## Governor

**What the office does:** The governor is California's chief executive. The governor proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills, appoints judges and many agency heads, commands the California National Guard, and can grant pardons and clemency.

**Seat status:** Open seat. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is term-limited. No Republican has won a California statewide office in about 20 years.

**June 2 primary:** Xavier Becerra (D) 28.0% (2,591,857 votes); Steve Hilton (R) 24.6% (2,277,318). Others: Tom Steyer (D) 22.8%, Chad Bianco (R) 10.2%, Katie Porter (D) 4.4%, Matt Mahan (D) 3.5%. *(Source: CA Secretary of State, Statement of Vote.)*

**General-election context:** The two candidates held one televised debate, on CNN on Sept. 30, 2026, in Burbank (moderators: Jake Tapper and Dana Bash). Univision reported both candidates agreed to separate town-hall appearances on Oct. 20. Hilton's campaign and conservative outlets said Becerra declined other debate invitations; Becerra's campaign said Hilton was seeking publicity. Public polls since the primary have shown Becerra ahead:
- PPIC, Sept. 4–10: Becerra 60%, Hilton 38%.
- UC Berkeley IGS, Sept. 15–20: Becerra 58%, Hilton 33%.
- UC Berkeley IGS final poll, Oct. 19–25 (released Oct. 30): Becerra ahead by 27 points. The exact percentages were not confirmed.

A Hilton-commissioned poll in August showed a closer race.

### Xavier Becerra (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** Voting Rights Attorney
- **Current/most recent job:** U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden (March 2021 to January 2025). He has been campaigning full-time since he entered the race on April 2, 2025.
- **Background:**
  - Born in Sacramento in 1958. Holds a B.A. and a J.D. from Stanford.
  - Deputy state attorney general (1987–1990).
  - State Assembly (1990–1992).
  - U.S. House (1993–2017), where he chaired the House Democratic Caucus (2013–2017) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (1997–1999).
  - California Attorney General (2017–2021). Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him, and he was the state's first Latino AG. He won a full term in 2018. As AG he filed more than 100 lawsuits against the first Trump administration.
- **Key positions:**
  - **Housing:** Declare a housing state of emergency on his first day in office. Speed up permitting. Enforce state housing laws more aggressively. Fund about 40,000 "shovel-ready" affordable units that are waiting on final financing. He has declined to commit to a specific number of new homes.
  - **Cost of living:** Lower household costs. He has proposed freezing utility rates and home-insurance premiums during the housing emergency and requiring insurers to be more transparent about premium increases and cancellations. He rejects Hilton's proposed income-tax cuts.
  - **Homelessness:** Clear encampments ("We will make sure the encampments are cleared"). Require cities and counties that receive state money to report results. Invest in mental-health and addiction treatment.
  - **Health care:** Make California a "backstop" against federal Medicaid cuts. Protect coverage for undocumented immigrants. Supports "Medicare for All" as a long-term goal, with coverage expanded step by step in the meantime.
  - **Immigration and federal relations:** Protect immigrant families from federal enforcement and continue opposing the Trump administration's agenda.
  - **Education:** Has pledged two years of tuition-free community college.
  - **Overall pitch:** Experience and competence ("The governor's office is not a place with training wheels").
- **Notable endorsements:**
  - Party and officials: California Democratic Party (announced July 13, 2026); Gov. Gavin Newsom (after the primary); Tom Steyer and Katie Porter (after the primary); Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.
  - Labor: California Teachers Association (general election; CTA backed Steyer in the primary); SEIU California (general election; it co-endorsed Becerra and Steyer in the primary); California Faculty Association; State Council of Laborers; CA State Association of Electrical Workers.
  - Business and professional groups: California Chamber of Commerce, a break from its usual practice (June 2026; Hilton criticized the decision); California Medical Association; CA Academy of Family Physicians.
  - Advocacy groups: Giffords PAC; Equality California; CHIRLA Action Fund; Latino Victory Fund.
  - A union newsletter reports that delegates at a California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO) COPE convention endorsed Becerra in August 2026. **No official Federation statement was found to confirm this.** In the primary the Federation had split its endorsement among four other Democrats.
  - Major-newspaper editorial endorsements (LA Times, SF Chronicle, Mercury News, Sacramento Bee): **unconfirmed / none found.**
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 28.0% (2,591,857 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **Dana Williamson case:**
    - Williamson is Newsom's former chief of staff. She was indicted in federal court in November 2025.
    - Prosecutors said she and Sean McCluskie, Becerra's former longtime chief of staff, diverted about $225,000 from Becerra's dormant state campaign account to McCluskie over roughly two years, starting in 2022.
    - Becerra was **not accused of wrongdoing.** Prosecutors treated him as a victim, and the indictment says McCluskie misled him about the payments. Becerra said, "I was not involved, I did nothing wrong," and that he cooperated with investigators.
    - McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell took plea deals. Williamson pleaded guilty on May 14, 2026, to 3 of 23 counts: conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to investigators. The defendants agreed to jointly repay $225,000 to Becerra's campaign.
    - CalMatters reported that some political insiders questioned how closely Becerra monitored the account's spending.
    - Williamson's sentencing outcome: **unconfirmed.** It was set for July, then reportedly for Sept. 17, and could be delayed for medical reasons.
  - **HHS record:** A New York Times investigation found that HHS did not thoroughly vet sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children during his tenure and could not reach tens of thousands of children after they left federal care. Hilton raised this in the debate. Becerra defended his record and said the Trump administration had left the system dismantled.
  - **Oil-industry money:** During the primary, opponents criticized his campaign contributions from Chevron. He responded that his record of suing the oil industry as AG "speaks for itself."
- **Sources:**
  - https://cadem.org/california-democratic-party-endorses-xavier-becerra-for-governor-of-california/
  - https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/politics/gavin-newsom-officially-endorses-xavier-becerra-ca-governors-race/
  - https://edsource.org/updates/california-teachers-association-endorses-xavier-becerra-for-california-governor
  - https://advocacy.calchamber.com/2026/06/11/calchamber-endorses-xavier-becerra-for-governor/
  - https://consumerwatchdog.org/in-the-news/sacramento-bee-business-group-backs-becerra-sparking-gop-anger-as-progressives-preach-caution-by-ben-paviour/ (Sacramento Bee story, reposted)
  - https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2026/03/19/californias-powerful-labor-forces-are-divided-on-who-should-be-the-states-next-governor
  - https://www.dc16iupat.org/dc16-delegates-attend-california-afl-cio-cope-convention/ (union newsletter; unverified)
  - https://indiacurrents.com/xavier-becerra-pledges-housing-emergency-healthcare-expansion-immigrant-protections-in-california-governors-race/
  - https://abc7news.com/post/california-election-xavier-becerra-embraces-competence-message-governors-race-tightens/19177320/
  - https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/10/07/xavier-becerra-california-governor-race-2026
  - https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/america-votes/california-governor-rivals-clash-over-costs-homelessness-and-trump-in-only-debate
  - https://gvwire.com/2026/10/01/becerra-and-hilton-tangle-over-taxes-and-trump-in-california-governor-debate/ (NYT reprint)
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/05/california-newsom-chief-plea-deal/
  - https://abc7news.com/post/dana-williamson-ex-aide-gov-gavin-newsom-indicted-alleged-theft-campaign-funds-health-sec-xavier-becerra/18148679/
  - https://www.newsweek.com/steve-hiltons-chances-as-he-faces-republican-backlash-over-new-ad-12522090 (poll figures)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Becerra (biographical dates)

### Steve Hilton (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Small Business Owner
- **Current/most recent job:** Campaigning full-time since he announced on April 21, 2025. Before that he was a Fox News contributor and podcast host. He hosted Fox News' weekly *The Next Revolution* from 2017 to 2023.
- **Background:**
  - Born in London in 1969 to Hungarian immigrant parents. Holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford.
  - Director of Strategy to UK Prime Minister David Cameron (2010–2012).
  - Moved to Silicon Valley in 2012. Co-founded the political crowdfunding startup Crowdpac and was its CEO until 2018.
  - Has held affiliations at Stanford, including a one-year visiting fellowship at the Hoover Institution.
  - Became a naturalized U.S. citizen around 2021. Wikipedia says he renounced British citizenship in 2025.
- **Key positions:**
  - **Taxes:** No state income tax on the first $150,000 of income, with an 8% flat rate above that. His earlier version exempted $100,000. Independent estimates put the cost at about $40 billion a year. He says spending cuts would cover it: a 10% smaller state workforce, 5% cuts to agency budgets, and roughly a one-third overall spending reduction in earlier statements.
  - **Gas and energy:** Bring gas to $3 a gallon by eliminating the state gas tax, repealing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, changing cap-and-trade, and increasing in-state oil production. He has pledged to cut utility bills in half and to overturn many greenhouse-gas rules.
  - **Housing:** Cap government-driven costs at about $30,000 per new home. Loosen development rules and give local governments financial incentives to approve housing.
  - **Homelessness:** Has called state homelessness spending a "scandal." He would cut funding to nonprofits he considers ineffective and enforce laws against living on the street.
  - **Government services:** Eliminate the standalone DMV and cap vehicle registration at $73 a year. Cancel high-speed rail.
  - **Health care:** Proposes a "Working Class Healthcare Guarantee": more insurer competition, anti-fraud measures, and health savings accounts for lower-income residents.
  - **Other:** Pause AI use in schools. His "family first" agenda promotes adoption, prenatal care, and family formation. On immigration, he says he wants to "lower the temperature," protect legal immigrant communities, and prioritize deporting "dangerous criminals."
- **Notable endorsements:**
  - President Donald Trump (April 6, 2026). Hilton has embraced the endorsement.
  - California Congress of Republicans, a volunteer group separate from the state party (pre-primary).
  - **California Republican Party:** At its April 2026 convention the party endorsed no one for governor (Bianco 49%, Hilton 44%, with 60% required). A post-primary state party endorsement is **unconfirmed.** Newsweek reported that the party and its chair promoted a Hilton campaign ad in October.
  - Major-newspaper editorial endorsements: **unconfirmed / none found.**
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 24.6% (2,277,318 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **Campaign ad:** In October 2026 his campaign released a sexually suggestive ad about filling out a mail ballot. Other Republican statewide candidates (AG candidate Michael Gates and superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw) and Democrats criticized it. Hilton defended it to the LA Times as "provocative and humorous."
  - **Fox News commentary:** KQED reported that as a Fox News host he called for an audit of the 2020 election and promoted a conspiracy theory about Dr. Anthony Fauci. KQED also noted that some of his earlier positions, such as support for "asset reparations" in 2019 and a higher living wage, differ from his current platform.
  - **Tax plan feasibility:** Economists and reporters have questioned how he would get his tax plan through a Legislature with a Democratic supermajority and pay for it. During the debate, Becerra accused him of misleading voters about his gas-price promise.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/republican-steve-hilton-becerra-november-race-ca-governor
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12094059/whats-behind-steve-hiltons-quick-ascension-in-california-politics
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner
  - https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/04/13/trump-wanted-california-republicans-to-back-steve-hilton-they-didnt-listen/
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/04/california-gop-convention-governor/
  - https://abc30.com/post/california-governors-race-gop-candidate-steve-hilton-pitches-affordability-agenda-he-tries-close-gap/19868537/
  - https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2026/10/06/steve-hilton-150k-income-tax-3-dollar-gas-sunbreak-ranch
  - https://stevehiltonforgovernor.com/?p=2128 (campaign site)
  - https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/sep/10/hilton-proposes-eliminating-dmv-slashing-vehicle/
  - https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/america-votes/california-governor-rivals-clash-over-costs-homelessness-and-trump-in-only-debate
  - https://www.newsweek.com/steve-hiltons-chances-as-he-faces-republican-backlash-over-new-ad-12522090
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hilton (biographical dates)

## Lieutenant Governor

**What the office does:** The lieutenant governor becomes acting governor when the governor is absent from the state or the office is vacant. The lieutenant governor also:
- presides over the state Senate and can cast a tie-breaking vote (none since 1996);
- sits on the UC Regents, the CSU Trustees, and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors;
- sits on the State Lands Commission, chairing it in rotation.

The office budget is about $3 million.

**Seat status:** Open seat. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) is term-limited and is running for Treasurer.

**June 2 primary:** Fiona Ma (D) 19.1% (1,631,935 votes); Gloria Romero (R) 17.8% (1,521,181). Others: Josh Fryday (D) 14.7%, Michael Tubbs (D) 13.3%. *(Source: CA Secretary of State, Statement of Vote.)*

**General-election context:** No independent general-election poll and no Ma–Romero debate were found.

### Fiona Ma (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** State Treasurer/CPA
- **Current/most recent job:** California State Treasurer since January 2019. She is term-limited in that office.
- **Background:**
  - Certified public accountant.
  - San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2002–2006).
  - State Assembly (2006–2012); in her final term she was Speaker pro Tempore, second in Assembly leadership.
  - State Board of Equalization (elected 2014; served about 2015–2019).
- **Key positions:**
  - **Higher education:** Lower Cal State housing and tuition costs by raising money outside the general fund, such as leasing underused campus spaces to private partners. She cites her experience issuing student-housing bonds as Treasurer.
  - **Federal relations:** Frames the office as a check on the Trump administration.
  - **Economy:** Support small businesses and well-paying jobs and lower costs (per her campaign and endorsers).
  - **Labor:** Require safeguards before autonomous trucks operate on public roads (cited by the Teamsters). Supports firefighter retirement and survivor benefits.
  - **Overall pitch:** Fiscal and budget expertise and readiness to serve as governor if needed.
- **Notable endorsements:**
  - Party and officials: California Democratic Party (general election, announced July 14, 2026); Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis; Secretary of State Shirley Weber; more than 30 Assembly Democrats.
  - Labor: California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO); State Building and Construction Trades Council; AFSCME; Teamsters; LIUNA; California Professional Firefighters; California Federation of Teachers (per her campaign).
  - Newspapers: Bay Area News Group (Mercury News / East Bay Times) editorial board endorsed her in May 2026, during the primary. A general-election renewal is unconfirmed.
  - Newsom and CTA endorsements: **unconfirmed.** In the primary, Newsom and teachers unions backed Josh Fryday.
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 19.1% (1,631,935 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **Harassment lawsuit:**
    - In 2021, former Treasurer's Office employee Judith Blackwell sued Ma. She alleged sexual harassment, including that Ma required her to share hotel rooms and lodging, as well as wrongful termination and racial discrimination.
    - A court dismissed the discrimination and wrongful-termination claims in 2023.
    - In August 2024 the state paid $350,000 to settle, and the remaining harassment claim was dropped. The settlement includes no finding of wrongdoing.
    - Ma has denied the allegations, called the suit "frivolous," and called the outcome a vindication.
    - Earlier, in 2021, the Sacramento Bee reported that Ma often shared hotel rooms and lodging with staff on work trips, which she said was done to save money. She was also the only statewide official who routinely expensed lodging in Sacramento.
    - The lawsuit became a campaign issue in 2026.
  - **Pegasus California School:** In April 2026, reporting by Business Insider and others (also Fox News) tied Ma to a Qingdao, China, private school that was the subject of a critical Riverside County education audit. She visited the school in 2023, and its founder donated to her campaigns. The audit **did not accuse Ma of wrongdoing**, and no charges have been reported.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-lieutenant-governor
  - https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2026/08/31/2026-general-election-california-lieutenant-governor-race-explainer
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/04/california-lieutenant-governor-race/
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12086094/democrat-ma-and-republican-romero-in-a-close-race-for-lieutenant-governor
  - https://cadem.org/california-democratic-party-announces-endorsements-for-statewide-congressional-and-state-legislature-candidates/
  - https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-settles-sexual-harassment-claims-against-state-treasurer-fiona-ma
  - https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/former-california-employee-350k-settle-sexual-harassment-claims-113283548
  - https://www.ktvu.com/news/california-treasurer-often-shared-hotel-rooms-with-employees
  - https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-california-dem-running-office-tied-chinese-school-accused-us-diploma-scandal
  - https://fionama.com/ (campaign site)
  - https://fionama.com/bay-area-news-group-endorses-fiona-ma-for-lieutenant-governor-as-statewide-momentum-continues-across-california-media/ (campaign site)

### Gloria Romero (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Educator/Businesswoman
- **Current/most recent job:** Education reform advocate and former psychology professor (including at Cal State LA). She founded Scholarship Prep Charter School and led the California chapter of Democrats for Education Reform. Her exact current employment is **unconfirmed** beyond her ballot designation.
- **Background:**
  - Born in Barstow in 1955. Holds a Ph.D. in psychology from UC Riverside. Former trustee on the Los Angeles Community College District board.
  - Elected as a Democrat to the State Assembly (1998–2001) and State Senate (2001–2010), representing East LA and the San Gabriel Valley.
  - Senate Majority Leader (2005–2008), the first woman in that role. Chaired the Senate Education Committee and wrote the 2010 "parent trigger" law.
  - Ran for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010 and placed third.
  - Endorsed Larry Elder in the 2021 recall.
  - **Confirmed:** She left the Democratic Party and registered as a Republican in September 2024, citing disagreements over school choice, crime, COVID-19 policies, and gender identity. She supported Donald Trump in 2024.
  - Steve Hilton asked her to be his running mate. California elects the governor and lieutenant governor separately, so this is a campaign alliance, not a joint ticket on the ballot.
- **Key positions:**
  - **K-12 education:** School choice, including vouchers that let parents use public money for private-school tuition (teachers unions strongly oppose this). Phonics-based reading instruction. Teacher-tenure reform.
  - **Higher education:** Restore SAT/ACT requirements for UC admissions. Cut remedial coursework so students finish degrees faster. More transparency on UC faculty salaries and housing allowances. More student representation on the UC Regents.
  - **Budget:** Opposes new taxes. Would call special legislative sessions on the budget and on "waste, fraud, and abuse."
  - **Regulation:** Review CEQA-related rules she says raise housing costs. Scrutinize the Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission.
  - **Sports:** Opposes transgender girls competing in girls' sports.
  - **Legislature:** Calls for ending the Democratic supermajority. Plans to meet individually with legislators to find common ground.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party (endorsed at its April 2026 convention); Reform California. Steve Hilton recruited her as his running mate. Major-newspaper editorial endorsements: **unconfirmed / none found.**
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 17.8% (1,521,181 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - Her 2024 party switch is the most prominent context.
  - CalMatters, LAist, and KQED coverage reviewed for this guide reports no significant personal controversies.
  - GV Wire reported in July 2026 that she said she was struggling to raise money.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-lieutenant-governor
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/04/california-lieutenant-governor-race/
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12086094/democrat-ma-and-republican-romero-in-a-close-race-for-lieutenant-governor
  - https://lamag.com/news-and-politics/democrat-turned-republican-gloria-romero-declares-candidacy-for-lieutenant-governor/
  - https://gvwire.com/2026/07/16/what-ca-lt-gov-candidate-gloria-romero-says-about-education-economy/
  - https://sjvsun.com/?p=104219 (CA GOP convention endorsements)
  - https://ballotpedia.org/Gloria_J._Romero
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Romero_(politician) (biographical dates)

---

## Attorney General

**What the office does:** The Attorney General is California's chief law officer and heads the state Department of Justice. The office enforces state law (consumer, environmental, civil rights, antitrust, housing), supports local law enforcement, and represents the state in court, including in lawsuits against the federal government.
**Seat status:** Incumbent running (Rob Bonta, D).
**June 2 primary:** Rob Bonta (D) 56.6%, 4,979,967; Michael E. Gates (R) 37.9%, 3,337,433; Marjorie Mikels (GRN) 5.4%.

### Rob Bonta (Democratic) — incumbent
- **Ballot designation:** California Attorney General
- **Current/most recent job:** Attorney General of California since April 2021. Gov. Newsom appointed him to replace Xavier Becerra, and voters elected him to a full term in 2022. In early 2025 he said he would not run for governor and would seek reelection instead.
- **Background:** He was born in the Philippines and raised in California. He went to Yale (BA, JD). He was a San Francisco deputy city attorney (2003–2012), served on the Alameda City Council (2010–2012), and was an Assemblymember for the 18th district, East Bay (2012–2021). He was the first Filipino American in the state Legislature and is the first Filipino American AG.
- **Key positions:**
  - Has filed or joined dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration on issues such as environmental rules and immigration. CalMatters (Oct 2026) counts more than 50; the Mercury News (May 2026) reported upward of 70. He frames the race around opposing federal overreach.
  - Enforces state housing laws, including laws that require resistant cities to permit new housing. He has also acted against landlords over illegal rent increases.
  - Supports criminal justice enforcement focused on organized retail theft and fentanyl trafficking.
  - Supports gun-safety measures, including red-flag laws.
  - Pursues antitrust and price-fixing cases and has cited affordability as a priority.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party; California Teachers Association; California Environmental Voters (CalMatters/LAist general guide). Primary-season endorsers included the California Labor Federation, SEIU California, California Nurses Association, Teamsters California, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Equality California, Brady, Giffords, Everytown, and Sierra Club California. Newspapers in the primary: *San Francisco Chronicle*, McClatchy California (*Sacramento Bee*, *Fresno Bee*, *Modesto Bee*, and others), and *San Francisco Examiner*. Newspaper picks were not reconfirmed for the general election.
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 56.6% (4,979,967 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **Legal fees paid from campaign funds:** In 2025 his reelection committee paid about $468,000 (reported as "nearly $500,000" in total) to the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The payments were for legal counsel connected to the federal bribery investigation of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and members of the Duong family (California Waste Solutions). The case has been reported by KQED, ABC7, KTVU, NBC Bay Area, the LA Times and the SF Chronicle.
    - Bonta has not been charged or accused of wrongdoing. He says investigators contacted him as someone who might have relevant information and told him he was not a target.
    - His campaign calls the spending proper. Some campaign-finance experts questioned whether campaign funds may be used this way, and a complaint was reportedly filed with the FPPC in Nov 2025. I found no FPPC ruling.
    - After the 2024 raid, Bonta returned about $155,000 in Duong family contributions.
    - The Duongs and Thao have pleaded not guilty.
  - **Fundraising:** As of April 18, 2026, he had more than $6.3 million on hand, about 13 times Gates's cash on hand. Gates outraised him in Q1 2026, about $672K to $450K (Mercury News).
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-attorney-general (CalMatters/LAist general-election guide, Oct 2026)
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/attorney-general/
  - https://napavalleyregister.com/news/regional/bonta-s-battles-with-trump-define-california-attorney-general-race-as-gop-challenger-tries-to/article_da9ab8bf-2b1d-5858-96cd-3e930b29c792.html (Mercury News, May 11, 2026)
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions (KQED, Nov 2025, updated Sep 2026)
  - https://www.ktvu.com/news/california-ag-rob-bonta-returning-155k-duong-contributions
  - https://abc7news.com/post/rob-bonta-letter-may-shed-light-california-ags-knowledge-thao-corruption-using-campaign-contributions-legal-fees/18182044/
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_Attorney_General_election (endorsement compilation)
  - https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/rob-bonta-attorney-general-california-22194540.php (primary endorsement; not fetched)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bonta

### Michael E. Gates (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Deputy United States Attorney
- **Current/most recent job:** He returned to Huntington Beach as chief assistant city attorney, effective about Nov 24, 2025, after leaving the U.S. Department of Justice (LAist, LA Times, Daily Journal). *Unconfirmed:* whether he still holds that city job during the campaign.
- **Background:**
  - Former private trial attorney.
  - Elected Huntington Beach City Attorney in 2014 and reelected twice; served about a decade.
  - In Feb 2025 he was appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division (under Harmeet Dhillon). He left in November 2025.
  - Launched his AG campaign on Jan 14, 2026 at the Huntington Beach Pier. He ran in tandem with GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, and former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero appeared with him.
- **Key positions:**
  - Says he would be "toughest on crime." He would prioritize public safety and fully fund and enforce Prop 36 (2024), which raised penalties for theft and drug crimes.
  - Supports voter ID and "election integrity." As city attorney he defended Huntington Beach's local voter-ID law against the state's lawsuit.
  - Favors local control over housing and land use. He led Huntington Beach's legal challenges to state housing mandates and to the state sanctuary law.
  - Advocates parental rights and government accountability, and pledges to defend Second Amendment rights.
  - Says the office has been politicized and should focus on crime rather than suing the federal government.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party; California Parents Union; California Rifle & Pistol Association (CalMatters/LAist). Primary-season endorsers included Steve Hilton and Gloria Romero. No major newspaper endorsement found.
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 37.9% (3,337,433 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **How he left DOJ is disputed.** The Orange County Register reported, citing a federal personnel form and an anonymous source, that he was terminated "for cause." Gates denied this and released a DOJ letter dated Nov 21, 2025. The letter accepts his "voluntary resignation" and says the department will remove references to termination from his personnel record. DOJ declined to comment. Reported by LAist, the OC Register and the LA Times.
  - While at DOJ, he signed the June 2025 federal complaint against the Orange County Registrar of Voters seeking unredacted voter records (Democracy Docket, LAist).
  - Huntington Beach's lawsuits against the state over housing and voter ID were largely contested by Bonta's office. Bonta calls Gates's priorities "MAGA culture war issues." Gates calls the Huntington Beach efforts a challenge to Sacramento "groupthink" (Mercury News).
  - The Mercury News reported that he received support from organizations affiliated with Stephen Miller.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-attorney-general
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/huntington-beachs-michael-gates-launches-a-campaign-for-attorney-general (Jan 14, 2026)
  - https://laist.com/news/huntington-beachs-michael-gates-produces-letter-he-says-confirms-he-resigned-from-doj
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/huntington-beachs-michael-gates-quits-justice-department
  - https://dailyjournal.com/article/388543-former-huntington-beach-city-attorney-resigns-from-doj-returns-to-local-post
  - https://napavalleyregister.com/news/regional/bonta-s-battles-with-trump-define-california-attorney-general-race-as-gop-challenger-tries-to/article_da9ab8bf-2b1d-5858-96cd-3e930b29c792.html (Mercury News)
  - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/michael-gates-advances-in-california-attorney-general-race/ (advocacy outlet; used only for the court-filing fact)
  - https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-14/newsom-critic-former-huntington-beach-city-attorney-to-run-for-state-attorney-general (not fetched; paywall)
  - https://sjvsun.com/news/politics/former-huntington-beach-city-attorney-michael-gates-launches-ag-campaign/

---

## Secretary of State

**What the office does:** The Secretary of State is California's chief elections officer. The office oversees state and federal elections, certifies candidates and ballot measures, publishes the official voter guide, and certifies results. It also handles business filings, the state archives, and lobbying and campaign-finance disclosure records.
**Seat status:** Incumbent running (Shirley N. Weber, D).
**June 2 primary:** Shirley N. Weber (D) 58.7%, 5,092,491; Donald P. (Don) Wagner (R) 36.7%, 3,187,180. Two Green candidates (Michael Feinstein and Gary Blenner) together took about 4.6%.

### Shirley N. Weber (Democratic) — incumbent
- **Ballot designation:** California Secretary of State
- **Current/most recent job:** Secretary of State since January 2021. Gov. Newsom appointed her to succeed Alex Padilla, and she won a full term in 2022. She is the first Black Californian to hold the office.
- **Background:**
  - The daughter of Arkansas sharecroppers who left the Jim Crow South; raised in South Los Angeles. Holds a BA, MA and PhD from UCLA.
  - Professor of Africana Studies at San Diego State for about 40 years; helped found the department.
  - San Diego Board of Education (1988–1996).
  - Assemblymember (79th district, San Diego area), 2012–2020. Authored AB 3121, which created the state reparations task force.
- **Key positions:**
  - Expand voting access and turnout, including outreach in rural areas and voter registration on high school and college campuses.
  - Says accuracy matters more than speed in vote counting, and defends the counting timelines set in state law.
  - Defends universal vote-by-mail, which became permanent during her tenure. She has also defended state election laws against legal challenges.
  - Supports more transparency in campaign and election filings and stronger election cybersecurity.
  - Resisted the Trump DOJ's demand for California voter-registration data; CalMatters reports she won that lawsuit.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party; California Federation of Teachers; SEIU California (CalMatters/LAist). Others include EMILYs List and Reproductive Freedom for All (post-primary), plus Mayor Barbara Lee, Toni Atkins, the California Labor Federation and Teamsters California (primary). Newspapers in the primary: *San Francisco Chronicle*, McClatchy California (*Sacramento Bee* and others), and *San Francisco Examiner*.
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 58.7% (5,092,491 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - Republicans, including Wagner, criticize California's slow ballot count. Under state law, counties have 30 days to count and audit, so some legislative winners are sworn in before results are certified. Weber calls the criticism a Trump talking point and says accuracy comes first.
  - Disability advocates sued her office in 2024 over rules barring electronic ballot return. The suit was unsuccessful (CalMatters).
  - Her office has sued local governments, including Huntington Beach over its voter-ID law, to enforce state election law.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-secretary-of-state (CalMatters/LAist, Oct 2026)
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/04/california-secretary-state-race/ (Apr 29, 2026)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_Secretary_of_State_election (endorsement compilation)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Weber
  - https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/shirley-weber-secretary-state-california-22228493.php (primary endorsement; not fetched)
  - https://drshirleyweber.com/

### Donald P. (Don) Wagner (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Orange County Supervisor
- **Current/most recent job:** Orange County Supervisor, 3rd District, since 2019. Wikipedia lists him as board chair (unconfirmed for 2026).
- **Background:**
  - Attorney since 1987, with UCLA and UC Hastings degrees. He founded the Orange County chapter of the Federalist Society.
  - South Orange County Community College District trustee (elected 1998, three terms).
  - Assemblymember, 2010–2016.
  - Mayor of Irvine, 2016–2019.
  - Entered the Secretary of State race in July 2025 (OC Register).
- **Key positions:**
  - Require voter ID at the polls. He supports the GOP-backed voter-ID initiative on the November 2026 ballot.
  - Roll back universal mail-in ballots (would require legislative action).
  - Move up the deadline for certifying election results and speed up ballot counting.
  - Make sure only eligible voters cast ballots, and restore voter trust "without claiming elections are stolen" (CalMatters).
  - Keep the business-filings division "small-business friendly," and use the office as a "bully pulpit" on election policy.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party; Reform California; California Republican Assembly (CalMatters/LAist). His campaign chairs include former Gov. Pete Wilson (honorary chair) and former Secretaries of State Bill Jones (R) and Bruce McPherson (co-chairs). No major newspaper endorsement found.
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 36.7% (3,187,180 votes).
- **Context / controversies:** As supervisor he criticized the state's COVID-19 response and questioned county DEI spending. He also pushed to release sensitive voter information to the Trump Justice Department over claims of voting irregularities (CalMatters/LAist). No Republican has won a California statewide race since 2006.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-secretary-of-state
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/04/california-secretary-state-race/
  - https://www.ocregister.com/2025/07/30/oc-supervisor-don-wagner-wants-california-secretary-of-state-as-next-job/
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_P._Wagner
  - https://wagnerforcalifornia.com/

---

## Treasurer

**What the office does:** The Treasurer is the state's "chief banker." The office invests unspent state funds, manages state borrowing and bond sales, and sits on boards that finance housing and other projects and that oversee the state pension funds (CalPERS, CalSTRS).
**Seat status:** Open seat (Fiona Ma, D, is term-limited).
**June 2 primary:** Eleni Kounalakis (D) 36.7%, 3,154,323; Jennifer Hawks (R) 24.0%, 2,063,253. Others: Anna Caballero (D) 16.4%, David Serpa (R) 12.9%, Tony Vazquez (D) 7.1%.

### Eleni Kounalakis (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** Lieutenant Governor of California
- **Current/most recent job:** Lieutenant Governor of California since 2019, now in her second term. She is the first woman elected to that office.
- **Background:**
  - Holds degrees from Dartmouth and UC Berkeley (MBA).
  - Former president of AKT Development, the Sacramento real-estate firm founded by her father, developer Angelo Tsakopoulos.
  - Major Democratic fundraiser in the 2000s; U.S. Ambassador to Hungary under President Obama (2010–2013).
  - As Lt. Gov. she sits on the UC Regents, the CSU Trustees and the State Lands Commission.
  - Ran for governor from April 2023 until August 2025, then switched to the treasurer's race.
- **Key positions:**
  - Simplify the application process for affordable-housing subsidies.
  - Support state investment in renewable energy; she is a strong advocate of offshore wind.
  - Expand retirement savings for workers without employer plans (CalSavers-type program).
  - Supports a proposal requiring banks to lend more in lower-income communities.
  - Cites her real-estate and business background as a fit for the technical side of the job. On the UC and CSU boards she regularly voted against tuition increases.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party; California Labor Federation; Teamsters California; National Union of Healthcare Workers (CalMatters/LAist). Officials who endorsed her include Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, Treasurer Fiona Ma, AG Rob Bonta, and Hillary Clinton. Kamala Harris's endorsement was reported by the National Herald (not independently confirmed). Other unions: California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California Professional Firefighters. Newspapers in the primary: *San Francisco Chronicle*, *Mercury News*/*East Bay Times* (May 21, 2026), McClatchy California (*Sacramento Bee* and others), and *San Francisco Examiner*.
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 36.7% (3,154,323 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - She switched from the governor's race to the treasurer's race in Aug 2025 amid low polling. Primary rival Sen. Anna Caballero implied she was using the office as a "stepping stone."
  - She had by far the largest campaign war chest in the primary, about nine times her five rivals combined (CalMatters).
  - In 2023–24 she sought to remove Donald Trump from California's presidential ballot after the Colorado Supreme Court ruling, and she was later the target of swatting.
  - No major scandals found in reputable outlets.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-treasurer (CalMatters/LAist, Oct 2026)
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/treasurer/
  - https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2026/05/05/in-the-six-way-race-to-be-californias-treasurer-it-likely-comes-down-to-two-democrats (CalMatters, May 5, 2026)
  - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/08/eleni-kounalakis-drops-out-of-california-governors-race-00499422
  - https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/05/21/endorsement-elect-eleni-kounalakis-californias-next-treasurer/ (not fetched; paywall)
  - https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/endorsement-eleni-kounalakis-california-treasurer-22154455.php (not fetched)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_State_Treasurer_election
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleni_Kounalakis
  - https://eleniforca.com/

### Jennifer Hawks (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Retired Business Executive
- **Current/most recent job:** Retired. Her most recent role was on the executive team at Sacred Heart Schools, a Catholic school in Atherton (CalMatters).
- **Background:**
  - Silicon Valley business career (details thin), and a local Republican Party activist in the Bay Area.
  - Has never held elected office, which she highlights.
  - Treasurers have been Democrats for nearly three decades; she would be the first Republican treasurer in that time.
  - *Unconfirmed:* specific prior companies and roles beyond the Sacred Heart role.
- **Key positions:** The six "Day One" priorities on her campaign site are self-described, not independently analyzed:
  - "Open the Books": review the office and publish the findings.
  - Review the state investment pool holding by holding.
  - Publish the state's full debt picture on one public dashboard.
  - Scrutinize housing finance by making project costs, recipients and outcomes searchable.
  - Put public spending records in one searchable portal.
  - Set measurable accountability standards. Her broader theme is stopping fraud and waste and acting as an independent check on state government.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party (endorsed over fellow Republican David Serpa); California Republican Assembly; Reform California (Carl DeMaio's group) (CalMatters/LAist). Her site also lists the California Rifle & Pistol Association and the California Women's Leadership Association PAC. Wikipedia lists the American Independent Party. No major newspaper endorsement found.
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 24.0% (2,063,253 votes).
- **Context / controversies:** None found in reputable outlets. Independent coverage of her is limited.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-treasurer
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/treasurer/
  - https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2026/05/05/in-the-six-way-race-to-be-californias-treasurer-it-likely-comes-down-to-two-democrats
  - https://hawksforus.com/ (campaign site)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_State_Treasurer_election

---

## Controller

**What the office does:** The Controller is California's chief fiscal officer and accountant. The office pays the state's bills and employees, audits state and local spending, issues the state's annual financial reports, runs the unclaimed property program, and sits on boards including CalPERS, CalSTRS and the Franchise Tax Board.
**Seat status:** Incumbent running (Malia M. Cohen, D).
**June 2 primary:** Malia M. Cohen (D) 56.8%, 4,909,613; Herb W Morgan (R) 37.5%, 3,244,252; Meghann Adams (PF) 5.7%.

### Malia M. Cohen (Democratic) — incumbent
- **Ballot designation:** State Controller/Mother
- **Current/most recent job:** State Controller since January 2023. She won in 2022 over Republican Lanhee Chen with about 55%.
- **Background:**
  - San Francisco native; Fisk University (BA) and Carnegie Mellon (graduate degree).
  - Former aide to SF Mayor Gavin Newsom.
  - San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 10 (2011–2019), including as board president in 2018. As supervisor she co-authored the "Fair Chance" (ban-the-box) ordinance and gun-magazine restrictions.
  - Board of Equalization, District 2 (2019–2023), including as chair.
- **Key positions:**
  - Campaigns on managing state finances with "transparency, efficiency and fairness."
  - Urged fiscal restraint in the 2026 state budget talks.
  - Cleared the backlog of late state annual financial reports (ACFRs), releasing four reports in two years.
  - Modernizing FI$Cal, the state's financial IT system, and the state payroll system.
  - Issued recommendations in 2024 to prevent and detect charter-school fraud.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party; California Labor Federation; Equality California (CalMatters/LAist). Others include Reproductive Freedom for All (post-primary), plus SEIU California, California Nurses Association, Teamsters California, and Sierra Club California (primary). Newspapers in the primary: *San Francisco Chronicle* and *San Francisco Examiner* (a joint editorial with Weber). The *Sacramento Bee*/McClatchy endorsed her opponent in the primary (see Morgan).
- **Primary result:** 1st place, 56.8% (4,909,613 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - **Report delays:** The state's annual financial reports have been late for years. The delays began before she took office and have been attributed partly to the pandemic and the FI$Cal transition. She cut the delay substantially, though the 2024–25 report (released May 2026) was still past the deadline.
  - **Homelessness and agency reviews:** CalMatters reports that she did not follow through on 2022 campaign promises to scrutinize homelessness spending and review EDD and the DMV. She says the state auditor had already examined them.
  - **Fundraising:** More than $1.2M raised as of May 2026 (CalMatters).
  - Wikipedia cites an Oct 2026 federal lawsuit over the unclaimed-property program; I could not confirm it in multiple reputable outlets, so it is omitted.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-controller (CalMatters/LAist, Oct 2026)
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/05/ca-election-2026-controller/ (May 2026)
  - https://laist.com/news/california-is-late-on-its-own-financial-health-report-for-the-6th-straight-year
  - https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/politics/gop-controller-candidate-morgan-emphasizes-competence/article_767130f0-6810-422e-b884-79539f2efe93.html (June 11, 2026)
  - https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/malia-cohen-state-controller-california-22242981.php (primary endorsement; not fetched)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_State_Controller_election
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malia_Cohen
  - https://maliacohen.us

### Herb W Morgan (Republican)
- **Ballot designation:** Chief Investment Officer
- **Current/most recent job:** Chief investment officer at Cantor Fitzgerald. Per his campaign, he leads the Managed ETF Portfolios division.
- **Background:**
  - About 40 years in finance (SF Examiner).
  - Founded a San Diego investment firm, Efficient Market Advisors (EMA), which Cantor Fitzgerald acquired in 2017 (CalMatters, campaign).
  - Lifelong Republican; first run for office.
  - *Unconfirmed (campaign or candidate-profile sources only):* BA in economics from UC Santa Cruz (1988); earlier roles at Sand Hill Global Advisors and LPL; past president of the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System board of trustees.
- **Key positions:**
  - "Radical Transparency": a public, searchable database that logs state transactions, such as each check issued or corporate-card purchase. He says the controller could do this without new legislation.
  - Require every transaction by a state-funded nonprofit to be logged in a state database, with AI flagging suspicious purchases.
  - Scrutinize homelessness spending; he says Cohen dropped this.
  - Expose government fraud and waste. His platform has included a "Cal DOGE" initiative claiming at least $250B in fraud and waste, a figure from his campaign that has not been verified.
  - Criticizes the FI$Cal system's cost (about $1B) and the late annual reports. Says he would be fiscally responsible without defunding programs.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party; California Republican Assembly; Unity Party of California (CalMatters/LAist). Also the California Rifle & Pistol Association (primary). **Newspaper:** in the primary (May 2026), McClatchy California, which includes the *Sacramento Bee*, *Fresno Bee* and *Modesto Bee*, endorsed Morgan ("McClatchy endorses the Republican in California's state controller primary"). The editorial headline is confirmed via Wikipedia's citation and a repost; I could not fetch the full text, and a general-election reaffirmation is unconfirmed. His campaign also lists former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and former state Sen. Tony Strickland (campaign-reported).
- **Primary result:** 2nd place, 37.5% (3,244,252 votes).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - No controversies found in reputable outlets.
  - **Fundraising:** About $367K raised as of the end of April 2026 (CalMatters).
  - He posts his campaign donations on a real-time dashboard.
  - Much of his online coverage comes from campaign press releases and partisan outlets; independent reporting is limited.
- **Sources:**
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-controller
  - https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/05/ca-election-2026-controller/
  - https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/politics/gop-controller-candidate-morgan-emphasizes-competence/article_767130f0-6810-422e-b884-79539f2efe93.html
  - https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/election-endorsements/article315579810.html (McClatchy primary endorsement, May 4, 2026; not fetched)
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_State_Controller_election
  - https://herbmorgan.com (campaign site)
  - https://www.ballotready.org/people/herb-w-morgan

---

## Insurance Commissioner

**What the office does:** Runs the California Department of Insurance and regulates the state's insurance market, the largest in the nation. That covers homeowners, auto, and other property/casualty lines, and the commissioner approves or denies rate requests under Proposition 103 (1988). Prop. 103 also made the office elected.

**Seat status:** Open seat. Incumbent Ricardo Lara (D) is term-limited. Both general-election candidates are Democrats.

**June 2 primary:** Jane Kim (D) 27.4% (2,328,836); Ben Allen (D) 19.4% (1,649,501). The top Republican, Stacy Korsgaden, got 15.5% and did not advance.

**Race context:** Coverage frames the race around the home-insurance crisis, as insurers have pulled back in wildfire-prone areas. Kim proposes a new state-run disaster insurance system. Allen proposes stronger regulation of the existing private market plus wildfire mitigation. Coverage describes it as a split within the Democratic Party, progressive versus establishment. A September poll reportedly showed Kim slightly ahead, with more than half of voters undecided (Mission Local; the pollster was not named in that summary).

### Jane Kim (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** Attorney/Consumer Advocate
- **Current/most recent job:** Attorney and consumer advocate. From January 2022 to January 2026 she was California state director of the Working Families Party (Mission Local; CalMatters).
- **Background:** San Francisco supervisor, District 6, 2011–2019. Civil rights attorney. California political director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. Lost a 2016 state Senate race. As supervisor she is credited with work on Free City College (free community college for SF residents), San Francisco's $15 minimum-wage ordinance, and tenant/eviction protections. She would be the first woman elected to the office.
- **Key positions:**
  - Create a state-run public disaster insurance program. Wildfire (and flood) risk would be moved out of private homeowners policies into a nonprofit state authority funded through existing premiums. The model is New Zealand's public system. The plan would need legislative approval.
  - Require insurers that sell auto insurance in California to also offer homeowners coverage, and set minimum payout ratios for both lines (SF Standard).
  - Expand the state's low-cost auto insurance program to more drivers.
  - Claims: explore freezing a policyholder's rates after a claim, penalize insurers for delays, and publish a public dashboard or report card of insurers' claims records.
  - FAIR Plan: says her disaster program would shrink the FAIR Plan's role, but an insurer of last resort would still be needed and should be more accountable.
  - Industry transparency: insurers should disclose how they spend premiums, including any investment in fossil-fuel companies.
- **Notable endorsements:** Sen. Bernie Sanders; Rep. Ro Khanna (whose district includes parts of San Jose/Silicon Valley); California Labor Federation; SEIU California; California Teachers Association; California Nurses Association; California Faculty Association; California Working Families Party. No major-newspaper endorsement for Kim was found.
- **Primary result:** First place, 27.4% (2,328,836).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - The insurance industry and some consumer advocates criticize her disaster-insurance plan as shifting catastrophic risk to the state. Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court said the "numbers don't add up" and questioned how startup capital would be funded and whether the plan could get through the Legislature (SF Standard). The SF Chronicle editorial board, in endorsing Allen, wrote that Kim would "blow up" the system. An Allen ad says the plan could "bankrupt the state." Kim disputes these criticisms.
  - Donations: Kim says she has never taken money from insurance carriers or their PACs. Allen's campaign notes that an outside committee backing her took $50,000 from PG&E, which is a utility, not an insurer (SF Standard). Outside spending against Kim reportedly exceeds outside spending for her (Mission Local).
  - Early in 2026, Politico reported that the Democratic candidates had pledged not to take insurance-industry money. That report did not quote a separate statement from Kim.
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/
  - https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/10/insurance-commissioner-california-nov-election/ (Oct. 9, 2026)
  - https://laist.com/news/politics/how-california-insurance-commissioner-candidates-jane-kim-and-ben-allen-measure-up
  - https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/ben-allen-jane-kim-california-insurance-commissioner/
  - https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/30/election-democrats-california-insurance-commissioner-jane-kim-ben-allen/
  - https://consumerwatchdog.org/in-the-news/politico-the-insurance-race-is-on-fire/ (Feb. 2026)

### Ben Allen (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** California State Senator
- **Current/most recent job:** California state senator, in office since 2014 and now termed out. His district is western Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica and the Pacific Palisades area. He was previously a Santa Monica-Malibu school board member (not separately confirmed in 2026 sources).
- **Background:** Wrote SB 54 (2022), the state's single-use plastics law, which still faces industry pushback. Authored Proposition 4, the $10 billion climate bond voters approved in 2024. After the January 2025 Palisades fire hit his district, he authored insurance bills: SB 1209 (signed in 2026; lets the commissioner order insurers to fix problems found in investigations without lengthy litigation; co-sponsored by Commissioner Lara), SB 894 (state-backed loan program for home hardening), and SB 1301 (more notice and detail before an insurer drops a homeowner, plus time to fix issues). He would be the first commissioner whose own home was directly affected by a major disaster (Mission Local).
- **Key positions:**
  - Keep the private insurance market but change its rules and enforce them more aggressively. Use the commissioner's existing powers, including SB 1209, from "day one."
  - Shorten Department of Insurance rate reviews from years to months. Build on Lara's rules that let insurers use wildfire catastrophe models and reinsurance costs in rate filings, in exchange for writing more policies in high-risk areas (SF Standard).
  - Wildfire mitigation: bring homeowners, communities, fire experts, officials, and insurers together. Require insurers to actually reward risk reduction. Steer development away from the highest-risk areas.
  - Claims: require insurers to report post-disaster claim delays and backlogs, explain denials, and add complaint-handling staff. Create a consumer-advocate post inside the department.
  - FAIR Plan: more state oversight and accountability for the insurer of last resort.
  - Auto: opposes opening the low-cost auto program to all drivers, saying that could hurt the low-income drivers it serves. Supports restoring insurer disclosure of fossil-fuel investments.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party (Aug. 2, 2026); U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff; Senate President pro Tem Monique Limón; Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas; L.A. Mayor Karen Bass; California Professional Firefighters; California Environmental Voters; Sierra Club; Consumer Federation of California; Jane Fonda's climate PAC. Newspapers: the San Francisco Chronicle (general); the Bay Area News Group / East Bay Times editorial board, which shares a board with the Mercury News, endorsed him for the June primary (May 15, 2026), and a general-election Mercury News editorial is unconfirmed; the Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, and Press Democrat (some of these may date from the primary). No LA Times endorsement was found.
- **Primary result:** Second place, 19.4% (1,649,501).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - Donations: Allen pledged not to take insurance-industry money. He refunded a few small insurer donations that had carried over from an earlier Senate committee account. An outside PAC supporting him took more than $100,000 from insurance-industry groups (per CalMatters, as reported by SF Standard). Allen says he does not control that PAC. Kim attacks him over these contributions, and Allen calls the attacks a "distraction." Mission Local reports that a PAC funded by crypto billionaire Chris Larsen (Californians for an Affordable Future) raised about $2 million to support him.
  - Kim's campaign calls his approach "tinkering with the status quo," which Allen rejects. Some homeowners say home-hardening programs have not yet produced significant premium savings (CalMatters).
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/
  - https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/10/insurance-commissioner-california-nov-election/
  - https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/ben-allen-jane-kim-california-insurance-commissioner/
  - https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/30/election-democrats-california-insurance-commissioner-jane-kim-ben-allen/
  - https://cadem.org/california-democratic-party-endorses-insurance-commissioner-and-statewide-ballot-measures-ahead-of-2026-general-election/
  - https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/editorial-endorsement-elect-ben-allen-californias-next-insurance-commissioner (East Bay Times editorial, May 15, 2026, primary)
  - https://consumercal.org/consumer-federation-of-california-endorses-state-senator-ben-allen-for-insurance-commissioner/
  - https://consumerwatchdog.org/in-the-news/politico-the-insurance-race-is-on-fire/

---

## Superintendent of Public Instruction

**What the office does:** A nonpartisan statewide office and the state's top elected education official, serving about 6 million public school students. Its power is limited because local districts control most budgets and curriculum. **Change starting 2027:** under a newly enacted restructuring, a governor-appointed state education commissioner will run the California Department of Education, and many of the superintendent's duties will move to the State Board of Education. The superintendent remains an elected advocate with a statewide platform (CalMatters; EdSource: https://edsource.org/2026/bill-to-create-a-new-boss-of-the-california-department-of-education-squeaks-by/761384). The exact effective date is reported inconsistently (Jan. 1 vs. Jan. 15, 2027); unconfirmed.

**Seat status:** Open seat. Tony Thurmond is term-limited. The office is nonpartisan, so no party appears on the ballot.

**June 2 primary:** Sonja Shaw 22.6% (1,737,735); Richard Barrera 20.3% (1,558,298). Others: Nichelle Henderson 9.6%, Wendy Castaneda Leal 8.8%, Al Muratsuchi 8.4%, Anthony Rendon 8.1%, Frank Lara 7.5%, Josh Newman 6.8%.

**Race context:** Two local school board presidents with sharply different approaches. Shaw was the only self-identified Republican in the 10-candidate primary field. Barrera is a Democrat backed by the state Democratic Party and the teachers union. The candidates' one debate (Oct. 7/8, 2026) was combative, and Donald Trump's name came up often (EdSource).

### Sonja Shaw (nonpartisan office; Republican, endorsed by the California Republican Party)
- **Ballot designation:** School District President
- **Current/most recent job:** President, Chino Valley Unified School District board (San Bernardino County). Elected in 2022 and became board president soon after.
- **Background:** Age 43. Before the pandemic she was a stay-at-home mother who ran early-morning fitness classes. She entered local politics by organizing parents to attend Chino Valley school board meetings during the pandemic. Reportedly a Chino native (from a lower-confidence source). She is widely described as a Republican and "Trump-aligned" (KQED; EdSource).
- **Key positions:**
  - "Back to basics": focus on reading, writing, and math achievement and on post-graduation readiness. Proposes taking Chino Valley's approach ("the blueprint from Chino") statewide.
  - Parental rights: supports parental-notification policies when a student's gender identity changes, and more parent involvement and oversight, including parent challenges to library books.
  - Supports barring transgender girls from girls' school sports.
  - Opposes what she calls "radical ideologies" in schools. Calls ethnic studies divisive.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Republican Party; Moms for Liberty; California Rifle and Pistol Association. **Trump endorsement: unconfirmed.** No source found for a Trump endorsement. She has appeared alongside Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton (KQED). No major-newspaper endorsement found.
- **Primary result:** First place, 22.6% (1,737,735).
- **Context / controversies:**
  - Under her leadership, the Chino Valley board adopted a 2023 policy requiring staff to notify parents about a student's gender identity, a policy allowing parents to challenge library books, and limits on pride flags. These policies have faced legal challenges, including from the state.
  - At a 2023 board meeting she chaired, Superintendent Tony Thurmond spoke against the parental-notification policy and was escorted out. At that meeting Shaw accused him of "perverting children" (KQED; EdSource; CalMatters).
  - Chino Valley has a strong academic record. EdSource reported a dispute over how much of it she can take credit for, and a fact-check disputed her claim that Stanford called the district a "recovery model."
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/superintendent-of-public-instruction/
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race (June 3, 2026)
  - https://edsource.org/2026/sonja-shaw-richard-barrera-state-superintendent-race/769259
  - https://edsource.org/2026/sonja-shaw-state-superintendent-chino-credit/768795
  - https://edsource.org/2026/california-superintendent-candidates-debate/767704
  - https://calmatters.org/education/2026/06/primary-election-california-superintendent/
  - https://sbcsentinel.com/2026/06/shaw-takes-first-place-in-superintendent-of-public-education-race/

### Richard Barrera (nonpartisan office; Democrat, endorsed by the California Democratic Party)
- **Ballot designation:** State Superintendent Advisor
- **Current/most recent job:** Senior adviser for special projects at the California Department of Education, a paid post Thurmond appointed him to in 2024. His projects there cover protecting immigrant students and families, district-built subsidized housing, and chronic absenteeism. He is also president of the San Diego Unified School District board (about 103,000 students).
- **Background:** Age 59, San Diego native, son of a Colombian immigrant. UC San Diego (B.A.); Harvard (M.P.P.). On the San Diego Unified board since 2008 (18 years; five as president). Longtime union organizer. For more than two years while on the board he was secretary-treasurer of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council. At San Diego Unified he backed community schools, making A-G college-prep courses a graduation requirement, ethnic studies, bilingual teacher hiring, and above-average teacher pay.
- **Key positions:**
  - More school funding. Supports the measure renewing income taxes on high earners (proposition number unconfirmed here; see the ballot-measure section of this guide).
  - Expand early childhood education and make it easier to become a teacher.
  - Community schools and inclusive policies. Promotes a "unifying vision" for public schools.
  - Agrees with the CTA "We Can't Wait" campaign that districts hold excessive reserves (San Diego Unified keeps the 2% minimum). Many smaller districts consider that approach risky.
  - Opposed moving the Department of Education under a governor-appointed commissioner, calling it "undemocratic."
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party (July 2026); California Teachers Association, whose independent spending for him reportedly exceeds $5 million (EdSource), with one report putting it at $8.4 million including spending against Shaw; California Charter Schools Association (an unusual pairing with CTA); United Domestic Workers; Equality California; Tony Thurmond; Anthony Rendon (after the primary). Newspapers: the San Francisco Chronicle (May 12, 2026, primary) and the McClatchy California editorial boards (Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee and others; April 2026, primary). General-election newspaper endorsements are unconfirmed. No Mercury News endorsement was found.
- **Primary result:** Second place, 20.3% (1,558,298).
- **Context / controversies:** No well-sourced controversies found. Critics point to his close labor ties and the CTA's heavy spending. His reserves position is a point of contention in union negotiations.
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/superintendent-of-public-instruction/
  - https://timesofsandiego.com/education/2026/04/19/state-superintendent-candidates-richard-barrera/
  - https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race
  - https://calmatters.org/newsletter/superintendent-california-election-endorsements/ (May 21, 2026)
  - https://cadem.org/california-democratic-party-announces-endorsements-for-statewide-congressional-and-state-legislature-candidates/ (July 14, 2026)
  - https://edsource.org/rendon-concedes-endorses-barrera-for-state-superintendent
  - https://edsource.org/california-teachers-association-pours-5-million-into-barrera-campaign
  - https://barreraforedu.com/news/sfchronicleendorsement (campaign repost of the SF Chronicle primary endorsement)

---

## Board of Equalization, District 2

**What the office does:** Elected state tax board with four district seats plus the State Controller. It sets the taxable value of utility and railroad property, oversees county assessors' property-tax practices, and hears some taxpayer appeals. A 2017 law moved its sales-tax collection and most appeals to agencies under the governor. District 2 covers about 10.5 million people in 19 counties, including Santa Clara.

**Seat status:** Incumbent Sally Lieber (D) is running for a second term. Both candidates are Democrats.

**June 2 primary:** Sally J. Lieber 56.8% (1,336,379); John Pimentel 15.8% (371,920).

**Race context:** The main dividing question is whether the board should exist. Lieber defends it. Pimentel favors folding its duties into other agencies, which would eliminate his own seat.

### Sally J. Lieber (Democratic, incumbent)
- **Ballot designation:** Incumbent
- **Current/most recent job:** Member, State Board of Equalization, District 2. Elected in 2022 and serving as Board Chair in 2026 (also Chair in 2024 and Vice Chair in 2025). She is also the BOE's representative on the Franchise Tax Board.
- **Background:** Mountain View resident. Mountain View City Council from 1998, including terms as vice mayor and mayor. Assemblymember elected in 2002, serving three terms; she was Assembly Speaker pro Tempore, only the third woman in that role, and sat on the Revenue and Taxation Committee. Also served on the VTA board and the Santa Clara Valley Water District's water commission.
- **Key positions** (self-reported, GrowSF questionnaire, June 2026):
  - Keep the board as a "lean and effective" taxpayer forum ("We're lean but we're not mean"). Says it "is the right size in the system right now."
  - Public education on the fiscal effects of voter-approved measures such as Prop. 19.
  - Simplify affordable-housing tax credits and help eligible families claim CalEITC, the Young Child Tax Credit, and the Foster Youth Tax Credit.
  - Highlight under-assessment of commercial property under Prop. 13 and equity between commercial and residential property.
  - Disaster resilience: help assessors carry out Prop. 8 disaster-related reassessments, and plan for fire and sea/groundwater rise.
- **Notable endorsements:** California Democratic Party; SEIU California; California Teachers Association; California Jewish Democrats (CalMatters lists this group for both candidates). GrowSF backed her in the primary but switched to Pimentel for the general.
- **Primary result:** First place, 56.8% (1,336,379).
- **Context / controversies:** No well-sourced controversies found.
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/board-of-equalization/
  - https://boe.ca.gov/lieber/about.htm
  - https://gvwire.com/2026/05/26/lawmakers-stripped-the-board-of-equalization-of-power-now-theyre-fighting-to-join-it/ (CalMatters republished, May 2026)
  - https://growsf.org/voter-guide/questionnaires/june-2026/sally-lieber/
  - https://www.rwcpulse.com/election/2026/05/14/should-the-states-tax-commission-even-exist/

### John Pimentel (Democratic)
- **Ballot designation:** Member, Board of Trustees, San Mateo County Community College District
- **Current/most recent job:** Trustee, San Mateo County Community College District. He lives in Menlo Park.
- **Background:** Former California Deputy Secretary for Transportation, where he oversaw the freeway rebuild after the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the merger of the State Police into the CHP. In the private sector he reportedly built more than $1.5 billion in clean-energy and water infrastructure. As a trustee he pushed for free community college for county residents. After the district's former chancellor was ousted amid a corruption probe (the chancellor was convicted in January 2026 of perjury and tax fraud), Pimentel pushed for an internal auditor, a whistleblower hotline, and lawsuits against contractors, which ended in a $20 million settlement in June 2026. Most of this background comes from GrowSF, an advocacy group, and was not independently verified.
- **Key positions:**
  - Reform or abolish the board by folding its remaining duties into other state tax agencies.
  - Modernize oversight of county assessors with shared data tools.
  - Speed up assessment appeals and refunds.
  - Use the office to push for ending sales tax on groceries and prepared food.
- **Notable endorsements:** State Treasurer Fiona Ma; San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association; GrowSF; California Jewish Democrats (per CalMatters). SF Chronicle: one report says its editorial board called him the best candidate while arguing for abolishing the BOE but made no formal endorsement, while GrowSF describes it as an endorsement. Status: **unclear**. No Mercury News endorsement found.
- **Primary result:** Second place, 15.8% (371,920).
- **Context / controversies:** No well-sourced controversies found.
- **Sources:**
  - https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/board-of-equalization/
  - https://gvwire.com/2026/05/26/lawmakers-stripped-the-board-of-equalization-of-power-now-theyre-fighting-to-join-it/
  - https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-november-2026-election/contests/board-of-equalization/
  - https://growsf.org/voter-guide/questionnaires/june-2026/john-pimentel/
  - https://www.hjta.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/HJTA-PAC-ENDORSEMENTS-4.16.26.pdf

---

## Judicial Retention

**What these offices do:** The California Supreme Court is the state's highest court, with seven justices. It decides the final word on state law, automatic death-penalty appeals, and cases it chooses to review. The Courts of Appeal hear most appeals from superior (trial) courts. The Sixth Appellate District sits in San Jose and covers Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties.

**How retention elections work:** Appellate justices are not elected in contested races. The governor nominates a candidate after the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation reviews them. The nominee becomes a justice only after the three-member Commission on Judicial Appointments confirms them; that commission is the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, and a senior presiding justice of the Courts of Appeal. A newly confirmed justice faces voters at the next gubernatorial election, and then at the end of each 12-year term. If the justice is filling a predecessor's unexpired term, the first retention vote covers only the rest of that term (4 or 8 years). On the ballot, voters answer **Yes** or **No** separately for each justice: keep this justice or not. There is no opponent, and justices don't campaign as ordinary candidates do. If "No" wins, the governor appoints a replacement. Losing is very rare. The only Supreme Court justices ever removed were three in 1986, chiefly over death-penalty rulings. (Source: SoS Official Voter Information Guide 2026, "Justices of the Supreme Court"; CalMatters; LAist.)

### California Supreme Court

**Kelli M. Evans, Associate Justice**
- Nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022 to the seat Patricia Guerrero vacated when she became Chief Justice. Confirmed unanimously on Nov. 10, 2022; took office Jan. 2, 2023. This is her first retention vote. The State Bar evaluation commission rated her "well qualified" in 2022.
- Prior career: Alameda County Superior Court judge (2021–22); Chief Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Gov. Newsom (2019–21); Special Assistant Attorney General, California DOJ (2017–19); Senior Director, Administration of Justice, State Bar (2014–17); federal court-appointed monitor for police reform in Oakland and Cleveland; U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division trial attorney; ACLU of Northern California staff attorney and associate director; briefly a Sacramento County assistant public defender. J.D., UC Davis. She is the court's first openly lesbian justice.
- Notable context: LAist reports that a PAC funded by the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), a large law-enforcement group, launched a late "No On Kelli Evans" campaign. Only LAist reported this, and no PORAC press release or filing was found to confirm it independently. When she was nominated in 2022 there was some criticism of her limited time on the bench.
- Sources: https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/justices.pdf ; https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/commission-confirms-judge-kelli-evans-california-supreme-court ; https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-supreme-court-evans-groban ; https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/supreme-court

**Joshua P. Groban, Associate Justice**
- Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in November 2018 to replace retired Justice Kathryn Werdegar. Confirmed unanimously; sworn in Jan. 3, 2019. Retained by voters in 2022 for the rest of Werdegar's term, which ends January 2027. This 2026 vote is for a full 12-year term. The State Bar evaluation commission rated him "exceptionally well qualified" in 2018.
- Prior career: Senior adviser to Gov. Brown (2011–18), where he ran Brown's judicial-appointments process; lecturer at UCLA Law (2014–18); litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson (2005–10) and Paul, Weiss (1999–2005) handling antitrust and IP cases; clerk to U.S. District Judge William C. Conner (S.D.N.Y.). J.D., Harvard.
- Notable context: No organized opposition reported.
- Sources: https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/justices.pdf ; https://www.archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2018/11/14/governor-brown-selects-joshua-groban-for-california-supreme-court/index.html ; https://supreme.courts.ca.gov/about-court/justices-court/associate-justice-joshua-p-groban ; https://laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-california-general-state-supreme-court-evans-groban

### Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District

**Daniel H. Bromberg, Associate Justice**
- Nominated by Gov. Newsom in November 2022; confirmed unanimously and appointed in January 2023 (confirmation Jan. 13, 2023). This is his first retention vote, for a full 12-year term.
- Prior career: Appellate lawyer for about 30 years. Led the appellate practice at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman (2021–22). Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Gov. Newsom (2019–21), overseeing litigation including border-wall and COVID-19 cases. Helped found Quinn Emanuel's appellate group (2005). Earlier a partner at Jones Day (D.C.) and an associate at Cahill Gordon. Federal clerkships with Judges Louis Oberdorfer and A. Raymond Randolph.
- Notable context: None found.
- Sources: https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/6dca/bio/daniel-h-bromberg ; https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/11/07/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-11-7-22/ ; https://ballotpedia.org/Daniel_H._Bromberg

**Charles E. Wilson II, Associate Justice**
- Appointed by Gov. Newsom in 2021 (nominated July 9, 2021; confirmed Aug. 30, 2021) to replace retired Justice Eugene M. Premo. Retained in November 2022 for the rest of Premo's term, which ends January 2027. This vote is for a full 12-year term.
- Prior career: Santa Clara County Superior Court judge for about 7 years, including supervising judge of the Family Violence Division and the Palo Alto courthouse; Deputy District Attorney; civil complex-litigation attorney in private practice; judicial-education faculty work on domestic-violence cases.
- Notable context: None found.
- Sources: https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/node/3445 ; https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/07/09/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-7-9-21 ; https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_E._Wilson_II

**Charles F. Adams, Associate Justice**
- Nominated by Gov. Newsom on June 2, 2026 to the seat left by retired Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian. Confirmed unanimously on Aug. 6, 2026. This is his first retention vote.
- Prior career: Santa Clara County Superior Court judge since 2018, serving in criminal, civil, family, probate, and appellate divisions, and supervising judge of the Family Division (2021–23); member of the Judicial Council's Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee. Earlier a staff attorney for the Santa Clara County Superior Court, administrative law clerk to U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila (N.D. Cal.), and a family-law attorney in Southern California.
- Notable context: Reported to be openly gay (Bay Area Reporter, via the courts newsroom). No controversy found.
- Sources: https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/node/4964 ; https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/6dca/news/commission-confirms-appointment-court-appeal-sixth-appellate-district ; https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/02/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-6-2-2026/

**Allison Marston Danner, Associate Justice**
- Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in June/July 2018 (confirmed July 26, 2018) to the seat opened when Mary J. Greenwood became Presiding Justice. Retained in November 2018 with 80.3% for the rest of that term, which ends January 2027. This vote is for a full 12-year term.
- Prior career: Santa Clara County Superior Court judge for about 6 years (2012–18); Assistant U.S. Attorney, N.D. Cal. (2007–12), prosecuting fraud and drug cases; Attorney-Adviser, DOJ Office of Legal Counsel (2009–10); law professor at Vanderbilt (2001–07); visiting or adjunct professor at Harvard, UCLA, and Stanford; clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and Ninth Circuit Judge John T. Noonan Jr.
- Notable context: None found.
- Sources: https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/6dca/bio/allison-m-danner ; https://www.archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2018/06/01/governor-brown-appoints-two-district-court-of-appeal-justices/index.html ; https://ballotpedia.org/Allison_M._Danner

**Frederick S. Chung (listed on the ballot as "Superior Court Judge," for Associate Justice)**
- Nominated by Gov. Newsom on Aug. 7, 2026; confirmed unanimously by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on Aug. 19, 2026. **Seat:** he will replace Justice Adrienne M. Grover, who is retiring when her term ends on Jan. 4, 2027. That is why he is on the ballot as a sitting Superior Court judge: his appellate term begins Jan. 4, 2027 if voters approve (Yes vote). The governor's release lists him as a Democrat.
- Prior career: Santa Clara County Superior Court judge since 2018; partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (2003–18); associate at Morrison & Foerster (1996–2003); clerk to Judge Karen Nelson Moore, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1995–96). J.D., Harvard Law School.
- Notable context: None found.
- Sources: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/08/07/governor-newsom-announces-judicial-appointments-4/ ; https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/news/santa-clara-county-superior-court-congratulates-judge-frederick-s-chung-appellate-court-nomination ; https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/fa/node/4967

**Commission on Judicial Performance:** No public discipline found for any of these seven justices. No exhaustive CJP search was done, so treat this as "none found," not as confirmed.

**Sources (general):** https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2026/general/pdf/justices.pdf ; https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/supreme-court ; https://ballotpedia.org/California_Supreme_Court_elections,_2026 ; https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/6dca/justices

---

## Gaps and items marked unconfirmed
- **General-election newspaper endorsements:** For most races, only spring primary endorsements were found (SF Chronicle, McClatchy/Sacramento Bee, Bay Area News Group/Mercury News). Fall endorsements from the LA Times, Mercury News and others were not confirmed. Exceptions: the SF Chronicle endorsed Ben Allen for the general.
- **Governor:** Post-primary California Republican Party endorsement of Hilton is unconfirmed (the party made no endorsement at its April convention). California Labor Federation endorsement of Becerra comes from a union newsletter only. Exact numbers in the final Berkeley IGS poll are unconfirmed. Dana Williamson's sentencing outcome is unconfirmed (Becerra was not accused of wrongdoing).
- **Lieutenant Governor:** Newsom and CTA endorsements of Ma are unconfirmed (both backed Josh Fryday in the primary). Romero's current employment beyond her ballot designation is unconfirmed.
- **Attorney General:** Whether Gates still works for Huntington Beach is unconfirmed. How he left DOJ is disputed (fired "for cause" per the OC Register vs. voluntary resignation per a DOJ letter he released). No FPPC ruling found on the complaint about Bonta's legal fees.
- **Treasurer / Controller:** Coverage of Jennifer Hawks and Herb Morgan is thin; some background is from campaign sites only and is labeled that way. A reported October 2026 federal lawsuit over the Controller's unclaimed-property program appeared only on Wikipedia and was not included.
- **Superintendent:** A Trump endorsement of Sonja Shaw is **unconfirmed** (no source found). The effective date of the Department of Education restructuring (Jan. 1 vs. Jan. 15, 2027) is reported inconsistently.
- **BOE District 2:** Whether the SF Chronicle formally endorsed Pimentel is unclear. Parts of Pimentel's background come mainly from GrowSF, an advocacy group.
- **Judicial retention:** The "No On Kelli Evans" campaign funded by a PORAC-linked PAC is reported only by LAist. Commission on Judicial Performance records were not searched exhaustively ("none found," not "confirmed none").