Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Tom Steyer Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race With Affordability Push

Joining a crowded field, the billionaire activist signals potential self-funding.

Overview

  • Steyer announced his candidacy on Nov. 19 in a video, seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom under California’s top-two primary system.
  • He is centering his campaign on lowering the cost of living and targeting corporate power, pledging to build 1 million homes in four years.
  • His platform includes cutting electric bills by 25% by breaking up utility monopolies, making preschool and community college free, and banning corporate PAC money in state elections.
  • The launch follows more than $12 million in ads he funded to support Proposition 50, the redistricting measure voters approved earlier this month.
  • He enters a wide-open contest with no clear front-runner; a recent UC Berkeley poll put his pre-announcement support at about 1%, and his campaign says he may contribute his own funds.