Could Kamala Harris Become Governor of California? What Poll Shows
By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
As speculation grows about the path that Vice President Kamala Harris' career will take after losing the presidential election, one poll suggests that a governorship could be in play.
A new poll from UC Berkeley and the Los Angeles Times, conducted between October 22 and 29, shows Harris with a substantial advantage over other candidates for the 2026 California gubernatorial race as term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom can't run again.
According to the poll, about 72 percent of Democrats said they would be very likely or somewhat likely support Harris for governor, compared with 8 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of voters with no party preference. Democrats in the state have a 2-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans.
Overall, 46 percent of likely voters were somewhat (13 percent) or very (33 percent) likely to support her for governor in 2026, the poll found.
Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech for the 2024 presidential election on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., on November 6. A new poll shows Harris with a substantial advantage over...
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Although Harris ranks as the front-runner, the poll shows that her support is lower among Californians than in the presidential race, in which she won 59 percent of the vote in the state, according to CNN exit polls.
Separate from the questions about Harris, the poll asked voters to rank their top two choices from a lengthy list of candidates who have either entered the governor's race or are being considered as potential contenders.
Representative Katie Porter, who has not said whether she will run, ranked as the second choice among Californians, with 13 percent of voters choosing her as their first or second choice.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and state Senator Brian Dahle, who ran against Newsom in 2022 and are said to be considering running again, were the first or second choice of 12 percent and 11 percent of registered voters, respectively.
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, both of whom are running for governor, each have 7 percent support, as does U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who hasn't confirmed his candidacy. Republican Steve Hilton, also considering a run, is the top choice for 6 percent of voters. Other candidates, including Tony Thurmond, Toni Atkins and Betty Yee, each with less than 5 percent support.
But the largest share of voters (52 percent) said they had no opinion about any of the candidates, underscoring what an advantage Harris would have because of her name recognition.
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