(5-19-26) Watch on demand now: California Politics Now Election Forum: Gubernatorial candidates explain why they are running for this seat
- May 21
- 4 min read
ONME News talks with some of the state of California gubernatorial candidates
By ONME News
In this California Politics Now Election Forum discussion, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb, Brigitte Jones and Cheryl Smith host and moderate the California Politics Now Election Forum featuring state of California gubernatorial candidates discussing these key topics:
Key topics news hosts will address:
Discussion regarding California’s annual billions-of-dollars, structural budget deficit ($18+)
Affordability: housing and gas at an all-time high for all Californians
Homelessness crisis that continues
Utility rates/AI infusion and electricity overload
Here are the candidates featured during this forum:
The California governor is the most powerful elected official in the nation’s most populous state, commanding a $300 billion budget. The governor shapes policy for 39 million residents, signs or vetoes legislation, appoints judges and members of regulatory agencies and leads crisis response from wildfires to pandemics. California’s governor wields outsized national influence, making the office a launching pad for presidential ambitions.
Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006, however, the fragmented Democratic field in this year's primary could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election.
The California Democratic Party has urged low-polling candidates to drop out to prevent this outcome
Key duties and powers include:
Budgeting: Proposing a balanced state budget by January 10 each year, followed by a revised budget in May, and negotiating the final package with the state legislature.
Legislation: Reviewing all bills passed by the legislature. The governor can sign bills into law, veto them (which requires a two-thirds legislative vote to override), or use a line-item veto to reduce or eliminate specific appropriations.
Appointments: Appointing judges to state courts, filling vacancies in the U.S. Senate, and selecting leaders for state agencies, commissions, and departments.
Law Enforcement & Crisis Management: Ensuring state laws are enforced and acting as commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and state militia. This includes directing disaster and emergency responses, such as for wildfires and public health crises.
Clemency: Granting reprieves, commutations, and pardons for individuals convicted of crimes, though this excludes cases involving impeachment by the legislature.
State of the State: Delivering an annual State of the State address to the legislature to outline policy priorities and goals for the coming year
2026 State of California Governor Candidates
Democratic Party (22)
(10 have withdrawn)
Akinyemi Agbede, mathematician and educator
Mohammad Arif, immigrants organizer
Larry Azevedo, businessman
Xavier Becerra, former U.S. secretary of health and human services (2021–2025) and attorney general of California (2017–2021)[6][1]
Carolina Buhler, UCLA student
Louis De Barraicua, teacher and business owner
Sophia Edum-a-Sam, project manager
Derek Grasty, San Jose school district trustee (2024–present)
Joel Jacob, business owner
Gary Howard Kidgell, building consultant
Matthew Levy, physicist
Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose (2023–present)
Barack Obama Shaw, business owner
Thunder Parley, software engineer
Katie Porter, former U.S. representative from California's 47th congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024[11]
Raji Rab, pilot and perennial candidate
Satish Rao, UC Berkeley professor
Scott Shields, executive director
Tom Steyer, environmental activist, founder of Farallon Capital and candidate for president in 2020
Tony Thurmond, superintendent of public instruction of California (2019–present)
Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles (2005–2013), former speaker of the California State Assembly (1998–2000), and candidate for governor in 2018
Erin Zezulak, consultant
Republican Party (12)
(4 have withdrawn/4 DQ)
James Athans Jr., real estate agent
Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner (2019–present)
Patricia De Luca Basualdo, real estate broker
Randeep Dhillon, businessman and farmer
Rafael Hernandez, businessman
Steve Hilton, political commentator and former adviser to UK prime minister David Cameron (2010–2012)
Alicia Olivia Lapp
Leo Naranjo IV, veteran
Tim Nelson, diplomat
Gretha Solórzano, retired nuclear engineer
Leo Zacky, vice president of Zacky Farms and candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022
David Zickefoose, real estate investor
Green Party (1)
Butch Ware, associate professor and Green Party 2024 vice presidential nominee (write-in)
Libertarian Party (1)
(1 withdrawn)
Not on primary ballot
Nicholas Thompson, college student
Peace and Freedom Party (1)
Ramsey Robinson, school social worker
No party preference (23)
Naomi Bar-Lev, musician and writer
Joseph Cabrera, administrator
Elaine Culotti, entrepreneur
LivingForGod AndCountry DeMott, chaplain
Serge Fiankan, real estate broker
Lukasz Adam Filinski
Max Fomin, business owner
Don Grundmann, chiropractor
Jon Henderson, business owner
Lewis Herms
Dawit Kellel
Anne Komarovsk, communications executive
Duane Terrence Loynes Jr., nominee of the American Solidarity Party
Amanda Martin, entrepreneur
Brent Maupin, civil engineer
Daniel Mercuri, author, Republican candidate for governor in 2021 and 2022, and candidate for California's 25th congressional district in 2020
Mauro Alberto Orozco, business owner
Reza Safarnejad, business owner
Sam Sandak, filmmaker
Christine Sarmiento, public health nurse
Frederic Schultz, human rights attorney
Margaret Trowe, hospitality worker
Nancy Young, businesswoman
Not on primary ballot (3)
Leonard Jackson, shipping company CEO
Ryan Tillman, police officer
David Thelen, blogger
Coming up next week:
WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE ONME NETWORK FORUMS
Live Online
ONME Sounds web radio station
Live OTT Channels via The AMPTV Network
Audience members can also watch and share the posted videos and audios:
Online on-demand starting
ONME TV (video)
ONME Podcast Network (audio)
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