Overview

• Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has ended her 2026 governor campaign to pursue the state treasurer’s office, saying she can best serve California’s financial future in that role.
• Her exit follows former Vice President Kamala Harris’s July announcement and marks the second major Democratic withdrawal reshaping the race.
• The governor’s seat now lacks a clear front-runner and features Democratic hopefuls such as Toni Atkins, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, Betty Yee, Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra.
• On the Republican side, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton remain in the contest despite the party’s failure to win statewide office since 2006.
• As the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor and a two-time statewide winner, Kounalakis had been considered a strong contender due to her robust fundraising network.