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New Poll Finds No Frontrunner in 2026 California Governor Race as Swalwell Edges Porter Among Democrats

An early-December Emerson survey reports low name recognition alongside a large undecided bloc, underscoring a volatile top-two primary.

Overview

  • Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics shows Chad Bianco at 13%, Steve Hilton at 12%, Eric Swalwell at 12% and Katie Porter at 11%, with 31% undecided.
  • Swalwell is the leading Democratic candidate at 12%, narrowly ahead of Porter at 11% in the Dec. 1–2 survey of 1,000 active registered voters with a ±3 percentage-point credibility interval.
  • Favorability and recognition remain soft: Porter is 30% favorable/34% unfavorable with 37% unsure, and Swalwell is 24% favorable/23% unfavorable with 53% unsure.
  • Republican voters split between Bianco and Hilton at 33% and 30% respectively, while 45% of independents report being undecided, according to the pollster.
  • Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job approval stands at 47% (net +8), and voters are evenly divided on whether his endorsement would help or hurt a candidate, with roughly a third saying no difference.