California governor poll raises prospect of two Republicans contesting runoff

The Guardian US News
by Dani Anguiano
March 24, 2026
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3 min read

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A new poll shows two Republicans leading California's gubernatorial race, risking a Republican runoff in a Democratic stronghold.

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A new poll commissioned by California's Democratic Party shows Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco leading the governor's race, with Hilton at 16% support and Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, at 14%. The survey of 2,000 likely voters reveals a fragmented Democratic field that could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election runoff under California's top-two primary system. This outcome would be striking in a state where Democrats hold supermajorities in the legislature and President Trump lost by wide margins in 2020 and 2024. The poll, released Tuesday by Evitarus Research, underscores how a split progressive vote could hand California's governorship to a Republican in what has been a Democratic stronghold for nearly a decade.

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