Overview
- Rep. Eric Swalwell made his first campaign stop in fire-scarred Altadena, pitching plans on affordability and proposing a new film tax credit to keep productions in the state.
- Billionaire Tom Steyer entered the race this week, with a potential bid still under consideration by Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, adding to a large lineup that includes Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee and Stephen Cloobeck, plus Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.
- Recent Berkeley IGS polling shows no dominant contender, with Bianco around 13% and Porter near 11% as 44% of voters remain undecided and many Democrats have yet to choose.
- Porter is working to recover from viral interview clips that dented her momentum, while prosecutors allege Becerra’s former aide Sean McCluskie diverted funds from a campaign account; Becerra was not charged as Villaraigosa highlighted the case in a digital ad.
- The primary is set for June 2, 2026, with ballot steps beginning next month under the top-two format, as Democrats retain a near 2-to-1 registration advantage statewide.