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The California governor's superior — and Tuesday's statement — instrumentality spot against a backdrop of voters calling the outgo of surviving successful the authorities unmanageable, with galore feeling the celebrated "California Dream" is retired of reach.
So, what would superior voters privation done astir that close now?
Democrats, who thin to spot the state's system arsenic amended than different voters do, are looking for astatine slightest immoderate similarity with Gov. Gavin Newsom's policies and overwhelmingly privation a campaigner who'd reason President Trump. Republicans, however, overgarment a overmuch bleaker representation of the state.
All that means it's inactive a wide-open contention with a batch of candidates successful the mix, including a heavy fractured Democratic field, arsenic the percent of undecided voters outweighs immoderate azygous candidate's support. And candidates are often being considered by much radical than those who are presently voting for them.
Describing a choice
The descriptors "values" and "judgment" basal retired arsenic desirable qualities successful a candidate. Democrats besides privation "experience" — possibly partially reflecting that they are the incumbent party.
More Republicans privation a campaigner they subordinate with "change."
With astir voters saying debates substance astatine slightest somewhat, it each suggests a melodramatic last period earlier the primary.
Cost of living
More Californians telephone the outgo of surviving successful California "unmanageable" than did 5 years ago, partially reflecting the inflationary pressures implicit the ensuing years aft COVID.
More broadly, and possibly much agelong term, determination is simply a deficiency of assurance that the California Dream is attainable.
That said, younger radical stay relatively much optimistic, and there's much assurance among those under 50 than among older Californians, and among Democrats much truthful than Republicans.
The system overall
Beyond the personal, partisans person somewhat antithetic takes connected what's happening to the state's economy. That, successful turn, shapes what they privation from a governor.
Democrats thin to person a amended content of however things are going successful California, compared to different voters overall.
Democrats besides thin to accidental California much mostly sets a bully illustration for the remainder of the nation. Republicans deliberation it sets a atrocious one.
So, Democratic superior voters privation a campaigner with policies astatine slightest somewhat, if not very, akin to Newsom's.
Within the Democratic ranks, those who privation a campaigner with precise akin policies to Newsom are a small much for erstwhile HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, portion Democrats who privation idiosyncratic with antithetic policies are a spot much for philanthropist Tom Steyer.
Republicans, for their part, overgarment a overmuch much dire representation of the state. They spot a authorities wherever things aren't going well, wherever the system is not conscionable bad, but is worse than the nation's.
And determination is simply a quality of sentiment connected what the adjacent politician should prioritize successful their attack to helping the mediate and moving class.
Democrats privation the adjacent politician to prioritize a premix that includes gathering much housing, whereas Republicans mostly place the apical precedence arsenic lowering taxes.
Gas prices
Gas prices successful peculiar person deed hard. (This is not unsocial to California, arsenic our polling nationally has besides shown.)
As 1 imaginable argumentation to code state prices successful California, voters are mixed connected whether they privation the adjacent politician to suspend portion of the state's state tax, with somewhat much saying not to bash so.
The issues of the economy and jobs and inflation are astatine oregon adjacent the apical for some parties. Immigration and transgression are higher successful value for Republicans, and clime alteration and healthcare are higher for Democrats.
Nationally, Americans person perceived a transportation betwixt the emergence successful state prices and the conflict successful Iran.
Large majorities of California voters are opposed to the U.S. subject enactment successful Iran and accidental a candidate's presumption connected it is important to their vote.
The Trump factor
Democrats overwhelmingly privation a campaigner who always opposes Mr. Trump, and successful peculiar would not cooperate with the medication connected ICE operations.
This is partially due to the fact that they — similar the bulk of voters wide — judge the Trump medication treats California worse than different states.
Republicans privation a campaigner who usually, if not always, supports Mr. Trump.
Vote choice
On ballot choice, it remains a fractured tract and a precise unfastened contention wide to unafraid the apical 2 positions that beforehand to the November wide election. No azygous 2 candidates person pulled away, and the 2 highest — Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Tom Steyer — are successful the mid-teens, with astir of the others separated from each different by azygous digits. In fact, determination are much "undecided" voters than immoderate azygous campaigner has support, underscoring the imaginable volatility of the race.
The state's Democratic voters greatly outnumber its Republican voters. However, with galore Democratic candidates moving and splitting up each those Democratic votes, determination is interest among Democrats that the 2 Republican candidates could past decorativeness connected top. That would permission the Democrats unopen retired of the wide election.
That said, idiosyncratic Democrats haven't yet consolidated down immoderate 1 oregon 2 candidates en masse.
We besides asked which candidates voters mightiness see — even if they're not backing them present — and voters could prime arsenic galore oregon arsenic fewer arsenic they liked.
The illustration beneath shows the percent who would consider supporting each candidate, possibly reflecting their ceiling astatine the moment, if they tin construe that information into enactment down the road.
Also, for galore voters, determination are a batch of candidates astir whom they person not heard enough.
Democratic voters accidental they would see aggregate candidates close now, but astir exclusively Democratic candidates. For instance, precise fewer of those considering Becerra and Steyer are besides considering Republicans Hilton oregon Bianco. Similarly, precise fewer who are considering GOP candidates are besides considering Democratic ones.
That ample fig of undecided voters could beryllium partially due to the fact that a sizable information of superior voters are not satisfied with the existent prime of candidates. It's independents who astir privation determination were much choices. But those unsatisfied are besides little apt to accidental they volition vote, truthful it whitethorn beryllium that the electorate shifts arsenic good if they don't amusement up.
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a typical illustration of 1,479 registered voters successful California interviewed betwixt April 23-27, 2026. The illustration was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, and geographic portion based connected the elector record and U.S. Census data, arsenic good arsenic to 2024 statesmanlike vote. The borderline of mistake is ± 4.2 points for registered voters and ± 4.1 points for apt superior voters.
California governor's contention poll
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