Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter are leading among their party for the state’s 2026 governor’s race, according to a new poll.
Emerson College Polling and Inside California Politics released a survey Thursday showing Swalwell and Porter as the top two Democratic contenders among eight potential competitors for the upcoming governor’s race. However, according to the data, Democrats are trailing two Republican candidates.
Among the seven listed candidates, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco leads the field with 13% support. Swalwell is second at 12%, former Fox News host Steve Hilton ties him at 12% and Porter follows at 11%, with the remaining support going to other Democratic candidates. Thirty-one percent notably remain undecided.
While Porter sits behind Swalwell in the overall race, the former representative holds 30% favorability, with 37% unsure or having never heard of her and 34% viewing her unfavorably. By comparison, Swalwell holds 24% favorability, with 53% unsure or having never heard of him and 23% viewing him unfavorably.
“As California turns to its next major statewide election after the passing of Proposition 50, no clear leader for the 2026 gubernatorial primary has yet emerged,” Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball said. “Upon entering the race, Swalwell splits the Democratic vote with Porter, 20% supporting Swalwell and 17% Porter. Republican voters are split between Bianco and Hilton, at 33% and 30%, while a plurality of independents, 45%, are undecided.”
With current Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom holding a 47% job approval rating and 39% disapproval, Democratic support is expected to split even further if the governor decides to endorse a candidate. According to the poll, 33% said Newsom’s endorsement would make them more likely to vote for a candidate, 33% said it would make them less likely and 35% said it would make no difference.
Despite Porter campaigning since March, Swalwell jumped into the 2026 race on Nov. 21, launching his bid on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
The new poll follows a Berkeley Institute of Government Studies survey released Nov. 7 showing Porter slipping six points as Bianco led the field. That poll was conducted before Swalwell announced, and the new data comes as Porter faces media backlash, including viral clips of her snapping at a reporter and former staffers.
The Emerson College Polling and Inside California Politics survey was conducted Dec. 1-2 among 1,000 registered California voters. The Democratic primary sample size was 567 and the Republican primary sample size was 339 likely primary voters. The group collected responses by contacting a voter list of cellphones via MMS-to-web text and an online panel of voters provided by Commonwealth Opinions Panel and CINT. The sample has a margin of error of roughly ±3 percentage points.
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