Overview
- Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis announced Friday that she is ending her 2026 governor bid to run for state treasurer.
- She intends to use her fundraising network to focus on California’s financial future, transferring roughly $9 million from her governor campaign to her treasurer bid.
- Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf withdrew from the treasurer contest and endorsed Kounalakis after her entry.
- An Emerson College poll taken Aug. 4–5 shows former Rep. Katie Porter leading the governor primary with 18 percent, followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 12 percent under California’s jungle primary rules.
- With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited and Kamala Harris already out of the race, the 2026 primary remains wide open and nearly 38 percent of voters are undecided.