2026 California elections

The 2026 California elections will take place on November 3, 2026. The statewide direct primary election will be held on June 2.

California voters will elect all of California's seats to the United States House of Representatives, all of the seats of the California State Assembly, all even-numbered seats of the California State Senate, and the Governor of California and various statewide offices.

Pursuant to Proposition 14 passed in 2010, California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary for its races. All the candidates for the same elected office, regardless of respective political party, run against each other at once during the primary. The candidates receiving the most and second-most votes in the primary election then become the contestants in the general election.

All of California's 52 seats to the United States House of Representatives will be up for election to two-year terms. They will use the redrawn district maps under the voter-approved 2025 California Proposition 50.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and ineligible to seek reelection.

Incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; she is instead running for state treasurer.

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta is running for re-election.

Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber is running for re-election.

Incumbent Democratic Treasurer Fiona Ma is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; she is instead running for lieutenant governor.

Incumbent Democratic Controller Malia Cohen is running for re-election.

Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election. State Senator Ben Allen, former state Senator Steven Bradford and former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim are running as Democrats, while former San Luis Obispo County supervisor candidate Stacy Korsgaden is running as a Republican.

Incumbent Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for governor.

All four seats on the California State Board of Equalization are up for election, with three of four incumbents term-limited and ineligible for re-election.

Incumbent Republican Ted Gaines is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors.

Incumbent Democrat Sally Lieber is running for re-election.

Incumbent Democrat Tony Vazquez is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for state treasurer.

Incumbent Democrat Mike Schaefer is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election; he is instead running for congress.

Twenty seats from all even-numbered districts in the California State Senate are up for election.

All eighty seats of the California State Assembly are up for election.

Since the enactment of Senate Bill 202 in 2011, only state propositions placed on the ballot by the state legislature may appear in the June primary election, and all measures placed via a petition signed by registered voters are automatically moved to the general election ballot. This year, the state legislature has only placed propositions on the November ballot.

As of April 25, 2026, the following propositions have qualified (or "eligible" for those placed via a petition) for the November ballot, with Secretary of State Weber assigning proposition numbers no later than 131 days before the election:

• California Eliminate State Officer Recall Successor Elections Amendment, a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by the state legislature. It would eliminate the election of a successor when a state officer is recalled, thereby leaving the office vacant until it is filled according to state law; allowing for the recalled officer to run again for the same office at the special election, if one is held; and authorize the lieutenant governor to fill the gubernatorial vacancy until the expired term, unless the vacancy occurred before the close of the nomination period for the next statewide election during the first two years of the governor’s term, in which a special election would be called and which the winner would serve the remainder of the term.
• California Vote Requirements for Initiatives Requiring Supermajority Votes Amendment, a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by the state legislature. It would mandate that citizen-initiated constitutional amendments proposing a higher vote threshold for future state or local ballot measures to meet the same higher threshold to pass (for example, a ballot initiative proposing a 60% requirement for certain other measures would itself require a 60% vote to pass).
• California Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns Measure, a state statute placed on the ballot by the state legislature. It would repeal the 1988 ban on public financing of campaigns and allow for state and local governments to create programs that provide candidates with public funds under spending limits and eligibility rules.
• California Second Mortgage Homebuyer Program and Revenue Bond Initiative, a state statute initiative placed on the ballot via petition. It would establish a second mortgage homebuyer program for qualified homebuyers on qualifying homes administered by the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), and authorize the CalHFA to issue up to $25 billion in bonds to fund the program.
• California Two-Thirds Vote Requirement for Special Taxes and Charter City Real Estate Transfer Tax Prohibition Initiative, a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot via petition. It would increase the vote requirement to pass citizen-initiated local special taxes from a simple majority (50%+1) to a two-thirds (66.67%) vote; prohibit charter cities from imposing their own real estate transfer taxes, whether for general or specific purposes, above the existing statutory rate of $0.275 per $500 of value; and invalidate any property-related special taxes previously adopted with an approval rate below two-thirds or real estate transfer taxes in charter cities.
• California Voter Identification and Voter List Maintenance Requirements Initiative, a constitutional amendment placed on the ballot via petition. It would mandate voter identification requirements, specifically voters would have to either present a government-issued ID when voting in-person or the last four digits of a government-issued ID number when voting by mail. The state would also need to provide free voter ID cards upon request to those who do not already have a government-issued ID. County election officials would further be required to report the percentage of voters who have been verified.