The Movers and Shakers of 2026 – Welcome to the California Jungle

Plenty of polling portents for the consummate newshound.

Behind the curtains of the American political realm, moves are already afoot to anoint, appoint, or even elect (wonder of wonders) the next generation of powerbrokers. These potential movers and shakers are already digging deep into campaign committees and PACs to position themselves for future success. And while the average American may be content to deal with the midterms in 2026 and the presidential contenders in another two years, the groundwork for ascension is already being laid.

From gubernatorial contests to the significant races in Congress, with a brief side trip to the big show for command of the country, Liberty Nation News has all the data for the politically minded. Today, the focus is on the Golden State gubernatorial primary.

Gubernatorial Gambits for 2026

With an open primary, the Golden State is always fascinating to watch just on the slim possibility that two Democrats may end up on the final November ballot. This strange affair has not yet happened, and it may never occur; however, this race is always essential viewing.

Term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom almost certainly has his focus set on the presidential brass ring, leaving a vacuum into which hopeful contenders are already being sucked. And there’s a whole lot of folks ready to try their hand at the job – at least ten candidates are in place for the June primary – and the deadline for filing is still more than a month away.

It seems almost unthinkable that in 2026 Californians would vote for a Republican governor; the last one was Arnold Schwarzenegger back in 2006. And yet, despite the long leftward lurch, over the last 100 years, there have been ten GOP politicos in the mansion compared to just six Democrats. So, what does the race look like right now?

Surprisingly, the top two candidates in this primary are Republican Chad Bianco (13%) and former Democrat Rep. Katie Porter (11%) – although Rep. Eric Swalwell has also thrown his hat in the ring and, off the one poll available, landed with a bullet at a clean 12%.  But it gets even more fascinating when we look further down the polls.

Democrat Danger Ahead

Steve Hilton, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron back in 2010, is also running for the GOP nomination; he comes in at a handy – and consistent – 10%. Could it be that, due to the jungle primary system, Californians might end up with two Republicans atop the ticket in November? It’s an incredibly slim possibility, but while there are only two GOPers in the race, at least nine Democrats are hoping to secure the win. And that makes a whole heap of difference.

On the Democrat side, we currently see Swalwell (12%), Porter (11%), former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (6%), former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (5%), and another five all competing. Now, a number of these candidates will worry about splitting the Democrat voter base and letting two Republicans get in, so some will bail out well before the deadline and back another contender. But there’s a certain amount of hubris at play that could lead to interesting developments.

After all, Porter has been outed for berating her staff live on camera; she’s someone who doesn’t take dissent or loss well. And then there’s billionaire Tom Steyer (2.5%), who flamed out of the Democratic primary back in 2020 in spectacular style, coming in seventh in the Iowa caucus. He has backed numerous candidates and sought job appointments for his effort and funding, each time unsuccessfully. At 68 years of age, this might be his last political hurrah; it could be tough to dissuade him from pursuing office to the last vote.

Indeed, several of the major personalities vying for the top job on the West Coast are at the last chance saloon when it comes to making their mark on the political landscape.

A crowded Democrat slate could be just the thing for California Republicans. As mentioned earlier – despite the longshot odds of a serious upset – this is a race well worth watching.