Republican Jon Slavet announced on Thursday he will join a crowded field of hopefuls aiming to become California’s next governor.
Why It Matters
California, the nation’s most populous state, is reliably Democratic. It hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger served between 2003 and 2011.
A Republican candidate, Chad Bianco, is currently in the lead ahead of California’s gubernatorial primary election in 2026 on 13 percent of the vote, a new poll has found. He is followed by Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Eric Swalwell on 12 percent each, and Democrat Katie Porter on 11 percent.
What To Know
California will elect a new governor in November 2026 during the midterm elections because Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has served in the role since 2019, is term-limited.
The state uses a jungle primary system, where all candidates, regardless of political party, run on a single ballot for the primary. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election.
Slavet, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, told CNN in announcing his run that his background as an executive, CEO and entrepreneur building companies would help him lead California.
“I come from a background of solving problems and doing great things for customers. When I look at California’s state government, I see a bloated dysfunctional organization that’s not delivering for the customer, the citizens of California. We’re getting ripped off,” he said.
Slavet co-founded Guru.com, a site that connects companies with high-tech workers, helping to create the “gig economy,” Slavet said. He also set up the upmarket housing website Sentral.com.
Asked if he supported President Donald Trump, Slavet said: “I think Donald Trump is brilliant, brash, I think that he’s shaking up America in a way that needs to be done because our government is very calcified and I’d welcome his endorsement.”
But he said when it comes to California, “we have to run California our one way.”
He said he wanted his five children to have “a beautiful vision and future and realize their California so I’ve decided to get in because my background is uniquely well suited to touring California around.”
In terms of changes, he spoke of high electricity bills because of a “constrained energy policy,” and the need to boost energy production, including oil, while protecting the environment, to reduce costs.
He also said the private sector should be unleashed to increase housing.
What People Are Saying
Slavet told CNN: “The most important thing to look at is who can actually win, a Republican, in November…I believe that I can.”
What Happens Next
California’s gubernatorial primary election will be on June 2, 2026. The general election for governor will be on November 3.
