2026 California Attorney General election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 California Attorney General election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the attorney general of California. Incumbent Democratic attorney general Rob Bonta is running for re-election to a second full term in office.[1] Candidates were required to declare by March 6 with primaries being held on June 2 with Bonta and former Huntington Beach city attorney Michael Gates advancing to the general election.[2]
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November 3, 2026
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Candidates
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- Rob Bonta, incumbent attorney general (2021–present)[1]
Declined
- Ben Allen, state senator from the 34th district (2018–present) (running for Insurance Commissioner)[3]
- Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation (2022–present) and former state assemblymember from the 80th district (2013–2022)[4]
- Rick Zbur, state assemblymember from the 51st district (2022–present)[5]
Republican Party
Advanced to general
- Michael Gates, former Huntington Beach city attorney[6]
Green Party
Eliminated in primary
- Marjorie Mikels, activist[7]
Primary election
Endorsements
Rob Bonta (D)
- Labor unions
- California Faculty Association[8]
- California Federation of Labor Unions[9]
- California Nurses Association[10]
- Los Angeles County Federation of Labor[11]
- SEIU California [12]
- SEIU United Healthcare Workers West[13]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters California[14]
- Organizations
- Asian American Action Fund[15]
- Brady Campaign[16]
- California Environmental Voters[17]
- Equality California[18]
- Giffords[19]
- Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California[20]
- Sierra Club California[21] and Angeles Chapter[22]
- Stonewall Democratic Club[23]
- Political parties
- Newspapers
Michael Gates (R)
- State legislators
- Gloria Romero, former Democratic state senate majority leader (2005–2008) from the 24th district (2001–2010) and candidate for lieutenant governor of California in 2026[30]
- Individuals
- Steve Hilton, political commentator and candidate for governor of California in 2026[30]
- Political parties
Marjorie Mikels (G)
- Political parties
Results
Bonta
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Gates
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rob Bonta (incumbent) | 4,979,967 | 56.62 | |
| Republican | Michael Gates | 3,337,433 | 37.94 | |
| Green | Marjorie Mikels | 478,450 | 5.44 | |
| Total votes | 8,795,850 | 100.00 | ||
By county
| County[35] | Rob Bonta Democratic |
Michael Gates Republican |
Marjorie Mikels Green |
Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 282,776 | 74.19% | 74,621 | 19.58% | 23,755 | 6.23% | 208,155 | 54.61% | 381,152 |
| Alpine | 286 | 60.21% | 164 | 34.53% | 25 | 5.26% | 122 | 25.68% | 475 |
| Amador | 4,922 | 31.75% | 9,964 | 64.28% | 614 | 3.96% | -5,042 | -32.53% | 15,500 |
| Butte | 23,657 | 40.49% | 31,295 | 53.57% | 3,470 | 5.94% | -7,638 | -13.07% | 58,422 |
| Calaveras | 5,391 | 31.64% | 10,998 | 64.55% | 650 | 3.81% | -5,607 | -32.91% | 17,039 |
| Colusa | 1,219 | 29.64% | 2,720 | 66.13% | 174 | 4.23% | -1,501 | -36.49% | 4,113 |
| Contra Costa | 196,519 | 64.55% | 91,801 | 30.15% | 16,123 | 5.30% | 104,718 | 34.40% | 304,443 |
| Del Norte | 2,330 | 37.28% | 3,608 | 57.73% | 312 | 4.99% | -1,278 | -20.45% | 6,250 |
| El Dorado | 27,618 | 37.97% | 42,234 | 58.06% | 2,890 | 3.97% | -14,616 | -20.09% | 72,742 |
| Fresno | 76,155 | 43.83% | 88,008 | 50.66% | 9,572 | 5.51% | -11,853 | -6.82% | 173,735 |
| Glenn | 1,522 | 24.72% | 4,426 | 71.89% | 209 | 3.39% | -2,904 | -47.17% | 6,157 |
| Humboldt | 21,972 | 57.33% | 12,834 | 33.49% | 3,521 | 9.19% | 9,138 | 23.84% | 38,327 |
| Imperial | 12,531 | 52.38% | 9,879 | 41.30% | 1,512 | 6.32% | 2,652 | 11.09% | 23,922 |
| Inyo | 2,408 | 42.60% | 2,899 | 51.29% | 345 | 6.10% | -491 | -8.69% | 5,652 |
| Kern | 52,668 | 37.06% | 82,835 | 58.29% | 6,609 | 4.65% | -30,167 | -21.23% | 142,112 |
| Kings | 7,268 | 34.20% | 13,009 | 61.21% | 976 | 4.59% | -5,741 | -27.01% | 21,253 |
| Lake | 7,210 | 45.05% | 7,792 | 48.69% | 1,001 | 6.26% | -582 | -3.64% | 16,003 |
| Lassen | 1,294 | 18.03% | 5,620 | 78.32% | 262 | 3.65% | -4,326 | -60.28% | 7,176 |
| Los Angeles | 1,305,327 | 64.35% | 603,360 | 29.74% | 119,798 | 5.91% | 701,967 | 34.61% | 2,028,485 |
| Madera | 10,769 | 35.39% | 18,332 | 60.24% | 1,330 | 4.37% | -7,563 | -24.85% | 30,431 |
| Marin | 72,679 | 76.23% | 18,491 | 19.39% | 4,173 | 4.38% | 54,188 | 56.83% | 95,343 |
| Mariposa | 2,270 | 35.05% | 3,922 | 60.55% | 285 | 4.40% | -1,652 | -25.51% | 6,477 |
| Mendocino | 14,134 | 57.97% | 8,362 | 34.29% | 1,887 | 7.74% | 5,772 | 23.67% | 24,383 |
| Merced | 19,762 | 45.06% | 21,573 | 49.19% | 2,523 | 5.75% | -1,811 | -4.13% | 43,858 |
| Modoc | 547 | 20.85% | 1,985 | 75.65% | 92 | 3.51% | -1,438 | -54.80% | 2,624 |
| Mono | 1,862 | 52.87% | 1,450 | 41.17% | 210 | 5.96% | 412 | 11.70% | 3,522 |
| Monterey | 48,111 | 60.99% | 26,193 | 33.20% | 4,585 | 5.81% | 21,918 | 27.78% | 78,889 |
| Napa | 24,059 | 61.96% | 12,726 | 32.77% | 2,045 | 5.27% | 11,333 | 29.19% | 38,830 |
| Nevada | 20,561 | 50.03% | 18,231 | 44.36% | 2,304 | 5.61% | 2,330 | 5.67% | 41,096 |
| Orange | 356,825 | 46.67% | 372,374 | 48.70% | 35,417 | 4.63% | -15,549 | -2.03% | 764,616 |
| Placer | 60,473 | 41.27% | 81,147 | 55.37% | 4,925 | 3.36% | -20,674 | -14.11% | 146,545 |
| Plumas | 2,540 | 35.41% | 4,276 | 59.60% | 358 | 4.99% | -1,736 | -24.20% | 7,174 |
| Riverside | 244,520 | 47.40% | 247,026 | 47.88% | 24,335 | 4.72% | -2,506 | -0.49% | 515,881 |
| Sacramento | 212,713 | 56.73% | 139,806 | 37.29% | 22,417 | 5.98% | 72,907 | 19.45% | 374,936 |
| San Benito | 8,363 | 52.76% | 6,678 | 42.13% | 809 | 5.10% | 1,685 | 10.63% | 15,850 |
| San Bernardino | 175,395 | 46.28% | 181,749 | 47.96% | 21,834 | 5.76% | -6,354 | -1.68% | 378,978 |
| San Diego | 431,448 | 53.07% | 338,456 | 41.63% | 43,151 | 5.31% | 92,992 | 11.44% | 813,055 |
| San Francisco | 189,269 | 78.34% | 35,004 | 14.49% | 17,337 | 7.18% | 154,265 | 63.85% | 241,610 |
| San Joaquin | 60,900 | 46.52% | 62,864 | 48.02% | 7,158 | 5.47% | -1,964 | -1.50% | 130,922 |
| San Luis Obispo | 47,423 | 49.72% | 43,647 | 45.76% | 4,315 | 4.52% | 3,776 | 3.96% | 95,385 |
| San Mateo | 132,085 | 70.55% | 45,915 | 24.52% | 9,226 | 4.93% | 86,170 | 46.02% | 187,226 |
| Santa Barbara | 59,772 | 56.84% | 39,394 | 37.46% | 5,994 | 5.70% | 20,378 | 19.38% | 105,160 |
| Santa Clara | 257,367 | 65.08% | 116,655 | 29.50% | 21,438 | 5.42% | 140,712 | 35.58% | 395,460 |
| Santa Cruz | 57,629 | 70.96% | 17,324 | 21.33% | 6,257 | 7.70% | 40,305 | 49.63% | 81,210 |
| Shasta | 14,679 | 28.24% | 35,252 | 67.81% | 2,054 | 3.95% | -20,573 | -39.57% | 51,985 |
| Sierra | 390 | 32.39% | 764 | 63.46% | 50 | 4.15% | -374 | -31.06% | 1,204 |
| Siskiyou | 4,697 | 34.74% | 8,121 | 60.07% | 702 | 5.19% | -3,424 | -25.33% | 13,520 |
| Solano | 59,820 | 57.61% | 38,892 | 37.46% | 5,118 | 4.93% | 20,928 | 20.16% | 103,830 |
| Sonoma | 112,162 | 68.62% | 41,626 | 25.47% | 9,666 | 5.91% | 70,536 | 43.15% | 163,454 |
| Stanislaus | 40,265 | 42.01% | 51,071 | 53.29% | 4,504 | 4.70% | -10,806 | -11.28% | 95,840 |
| Sutter | 7,012 | 31.68% | 14,169 | 64.02% | 952 | 4.30% | -7,157 | -32.34% | 22,133 |
| Tehama | 3,759 | 23.60% | 11,577 | 72.69% | 591 | 3.71% | -7,818 | -49.09% | 15,927 |
| Trinity | 1,396 | 38.71% | 1,975 | 54.77% | 235 | 6.52% | -579 | -16.06% | 3,606 |
| Tulare | 24,875 | 36.18% | 41,122 | 59.82% | 2,750 | 4.00% | -16,247 | -23.63% | 68,747 |
| Tuolumne | 6,877 | 35.47% | 11,683 | 60.26% | 827 | 4.27% | -4,806 | -24.79% | 19,387 |
| Ventura | 117,490 | 53.43% | 92,577 | 42.10% | 9,839 | 4.47% | 24,913 | 11.33% | 219,906 |
| Yolo | 36,698 | 63.40% | 16,955 | 29.29% | 4,226 | 7.30% | 19,743 | 34.11% | 57,879 |
| Yuba | 5,298 | 33.09% | 10,002 | 62.46% | 713 | 4.45% | -4,704 | -29.38% | 16,013 |
| Totals | 4,979,967 | 56.62% | 3,337,433 | 37.94% | 478,450 | 5.44% | 1,642,534 | 18.67% | 8,795,850 |
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[36] | Safe D | August 21, 2025 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rob Bonta (incumbent) | ||||
| Republican | Michael Gates | ||||
| Total votes | |||||