Republican Steve Hilton leads the latest poll for the California governor’s race in 2026, in a stunning result that indicates an electorate hungry for change.
The poll, by Emerson College, confirms that the Golden State is as left-wing as ever. Fully 57% support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) proposal to gerrymander California’s congressional districts, overriding a constitutional requirement for an independent redistricting commission.
However, Hilton — a conservative commentator and policy analyst fiercely critical of governance in the state — is leading the poll, ahead of every major Democratic Party candidate, including former Rep. Katie Porter.
Hilton’s lead is well within the poll’s 3% margin of error. And overall, the Democratic candidates in the poll outweigh the Republican candidates. But aside from Porter, there is no Democrat polling in double digits. And Porter’s campaign is largely believed to be over after a recent explosive tirade against a CBS interviewer.
The fact that a Republican leads the poll could entice another, stronger Democratic candidate to enter the race. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), largely a nonentity in Washington, is considered a possible contender.
Newsom’s approval rating in the poll is just 48%, though that is its highest mark over the past year.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
