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The 2018 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6th, 2018, to elect the next Governor of California. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jerry Brown was be ineligible to run for reelection for a third consecutive (and fifth non-consecutive) term due to term limits. The election was held concurrently with elections for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and other statewide and local offices.
Following the jungle primary elections on June 5th, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic Treasurer John Chiang advanced to the general election for Governor.
John Chiang won the general election, making him the first Asian-American Governor of California and the second Chinese Governor of a mainland state since Gary Locke of Washington. He will take office on January 7th, 2019.
Candidates[]
Democratic Party[]
Declared[]
- Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California
- John Chiang, California State Treasurer
- Delaine Eastin, former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Albert Caesar Mezzetti, former Manteca City Councilman
- Michael Shellenberger, founder of the Breakthrough Institute
Declined[]
- Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California - running for election
- George Clooney, actor and activist
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles
- Bob Iger, CEO of Disney
- Sheryl Sandberg, United States Secretary of the Treasury since 2017
- Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland - running for re-election
- Jackie Speier, US Representative
- Tom Steyer, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and environmentalist
- Kevin de León, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency since 2017
- Amanda Renteria, Director of the Office of Management and Budget since 2017
- Antonio Villaraigosa, former Mayor of Los Angeles, Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs since 2017
Republican Party[]
Declared[]
- Travis Allen, State Assemblyman
- John H. Cox, businessman
- Duncan Hunter, US Representative
- Doug Ose, former US Representative
Withdrawn[]
- Rosey Grier, minister and retired NFL player
- David Hadley, former state assemblyman
- Allen Ishida, former Tulare County Supervisor
Declined[]
- Tim Donnelly, former state assemblyman, candidate for governor in 2014 and candidate for CA-08 in 2016
- Ashley Swearengin, former Mayor of Fresno
- Peter Thiel, venture capitalist
Libertarian Party[]
Declared[]
- Zoltan Istvan, Transhumanist nominee for President of the United States in 2016, 2020 Presidential candidate
- Nickolas Wildstar, political activist, rapper and write-in candidate for Governor in 2014
Declined[]
- Kevin Faulconer, Mayor of San Diego
- Dana Rohrabacher, US Representative
Green Party[]
Declared[]
- Christopher Carlson, puppeteer
- Josh Jones, author, geologist, solar electric designer
Declined[]
- Gayle McLaughlin, former Mayor of Richmond and 2016 presidential candidate - running for Lt. Governor
Peace and Freedom Party[]
Declared[]
- Gloria La Riva, activist and nominee for President of the United States in 2016[58]
Declined[]
- Gayle McLaughlin, former Mayor of Richmond and 2016 presidential candidate - running for Lt. Governor
Primary Election[]
Results[]
Key Issues[]
Housing[]
California has the largest number and percentage of homeless individuals in the nation, and has the lowest percentage of homeowners of any state in the country. Approximately 33% of renters in the state spend half their income on housing. A 2016 McKinsey Global Institute Report found that California must build 3.5 million new housing units by 2025 if it is to relieve the demand and reduce cost.
Energy and Environment[]
California's total energy consumption ranks among the highest in the nation, but, in 2015, the state's per capita energy consumption ranked 49th, due in part to its mild climate and its energy efficiency and water conservation programs. In 2016, California ranked third in the nation in conventional hydroelectric generation, second in net electricity generation from all other renewable energy resources combined, and first as a producer of electricity from solar, geothermal, and biomass resources. California leads the nation in solar thermal electricity capacity and generation; in 2016, California had 73% of the nation's capacity and produced 71% of the nation's utility-scale electricity generation from solar thermal resources.
Water Usage[]
Economic Inequality[]
Education[]
Immigration[]
Transportation[]
Concurrent Elections[]
Lieutenant Governor[]
Incumbent: Gavin Newsom (D) - Running for Governor
Republican venture capitalist David Fennell and independent Gayle McLaughlin, former Mayor of Richmond, advanced to the general election for Lieutenant Governor.
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gayle McLaughlin | ||||
| David Fennell | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Attorney General[]
Incumbent: Xavier Becerra (D) - Running for re-election
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Becerra | ||||
| Steven Bailey | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Secretary of State[]
Incumbent: Alex Padilla (D) - Running for re-election
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Padilla | ||||
| Mark P. Meuser | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Treasurer[]
Incumbent: John Chiang (D) - Running for Governor
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiona Ma | ||||
| Greg Conlon | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Controller[]
Incumbent: Betty Yee (D) - Running for re-election
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betty Yee | ||||
| Konstantinos Roditis | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Insurance Commissioner[]
Incumbent: Dave Jones (D) - Ran for Attorney General: Lost Primary
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Poizner | ||||
| Ricardo Lara | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||
Superintendent of Public Instruction[]
Incumbent: Tom Torlakson (D) - Term-limited
| Nominees | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Thurmond | ||||
| Marshall Tuck | ||||
| Total | 100% | |||