(FOX 5/KUSI) — Current California Governor Gavin Newsom’s time in office is coming to an end, which means it’s time for voters to elect a new candidate to lead the Golden State.

While several nationally recognized political figures, like former Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Alex Padilla, floated joining the race, they ultimately did not — leaving the likely choice for successor less clear.

There are 11 candidates in the running for the California gubernatorial race, including eight Democrats and two Republicans.

An Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey released on March 11 showed Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell slightly passing Republican Steve Hilton for the lead.

New frontrunner emerges in California’s race for governor

However, the same poll also found that 24.5% of voters were still undecided, leaving the race wide open ahead of the primary on June 2.

The top candidates will face off in a televised debate hosted exclusively on California Nexstar stations, which include FOX5/KUSI. The event will be televised live at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. It can also be viewed on the FOX 5 KUSI Now App.

“Debate Night in California: The Race for Governor” will be moderated by Inside California Politics host and FOX40 news anchor Nikki Laurenzo and KTLA5 morning news anchor Frank Buckley.

Here is an overview of each candidate ahead of the debate, listed in alphabetical order.

Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrat

Antonio Villaraigosa served as the 41st mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. During his time as mayor, he helped transform the city’s public transit system, generating billions of dollars to expand its bus and rail lines.

He also served in the California State Assembly and was elected Assembly Speaker. He has been heavily involved in several labor unions.

In 2018, Villaraigosa ran against Gov. Newsom in the California gubernatorial race, but ultimately lost when the Republican candidate John Cox was selected to face Newsom.

Betty Yee, Democrat

Betty Yee is a former state controller and vice chair of the California Democratic Party. She announced her bid for California governor in 2024.

Yee chaired the Franchise Tax Board and has been a member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System Boards. She has campaigned as an expert who could help fix California’s budget problems.

However, Yee has struggled to gain traction in the polls.

Butch Ware, Green Party

Butch Ware is the only Green Party candidate in the running for governor. Ware is currently a professor of African and Islamic history at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

He previously ran as the Green Party’s nominee for vice president in the 2024 election alongside Jill Stein. He announced his run for governor about a year ago.

It is historically difficult for third-party candidates to advance to the general election in November.

Chad Bianco, Republican

Chad Bianco became the sheriff of Riverside County in 2018 and was reelected to a second term in 2022. His campaign for governor has been endorsed by several law enforcement groups and the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA).

Bianco recently seized about 650,000 ballots cast in the 2025 special election over Proposition 50 for a recount, prompting pushback from Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Polls most recently show Bianco neck-to-neck with fellow Republican candidate Steve Hilton in the race for governor.

Eric Swalwell, Democrat

Eric Swalwell is a former prosecutor who represents California’s 14th congressional district, which includes parts of the Bay Area.

Swalwell also served on the House Intelligence Committee, where he helped lead the House investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and two impeachment investigations of President Donald Trump.

A poll from March 11 showed Swalwell passing Hilton for the lead in the race.

Katie Porter, Democrat

Katie Porter is a former consumer protection attorney and congresswoman who became the first Democrat to represent California’s 45th district. Porter is currently a professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

Porter was considered a top contender for governor up until two videos surfaced of her losing her temper went viral late last year.

She sat down for an exclusive interview with Inside California Politics in October to talk about the incidents, saying she regretted her behavior.

Matt Mahan, Democrat

Matt Mahan is the current mayor of San Jose. He is also a tech entrepreneur who founded the tech company Brigade Media.

Since announcing his bid for governor at the beginning of this year, Mahan has amassed millions of dollars in donations from Silicon Valley executives and entrepreneurs.

Mahan has been a frequent critic of Gov. Newsom and has emphasized addressing the state’s issues of homelessness and crime.

Steve Hilton, Republican

Steve Hilton is a former Fox News Host and senior strategy advisor to UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Hilton moved to Silicon Valley in 2012 for his wife’s job at Google and became a U.S. citizen.

Polls show Hilton in the lead for governor. His campaign has received support from Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire owner of Fox Corporation and other media organizations.

Hilton has campaigned on issues central to the traditional Republican agenda, including reducing taxes and tough-on-crime policies.

Tom Steyer, Democrat

Tom Steyer is a billionaire businessman known for creating the hedge fund Farallon Capital. Steyer is one of the largest donors to American politics.

He has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to environmental causes, political campaigns, and grassroots organizing.

In 2020, Steyer ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, reportedly spending $253 million on his campaign before withdrawing from the race. He has spent nearly $80 million of his own funds on his campaign for governor, according to The New York Times.

Tony Thurmond, Democrat

Tony Thurmond has been California’s superintendent of public schools since 2019. Before that, he served in the State Legislature, representing parts of the Bay Area.

Thurmond is one of the few candidates who have publicly endorsed a proposed billionaires tax that could go before voters on the ballot in November.

Thurmond has fallen low in most polls ahead of the race.

Xavier Becerra, Democrat

Xavier Becerra was former President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. He was also the former California attorney general and launched more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration during President Trump’s first term.

Becerra also spent more than two decades representing several California Districts, which included parts of Los Angeles, in Congress.

Becerra was outspoken when a recent debate between the candidates scheduled to be held at USC excluded every candidate of color, including Becerra. The debate was cancelled less than 24 hours before it was set to take place.

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