Former Vice President Kamala Harris would be the clear frontrunner in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race if she entered, securing 57% support among Democratic primary voters, according to a new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill survey.
Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) trailed at 9%, followed by former State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, each at 4%. Another 17% were undecided.
Harris, who previously served as California’s attorney general and U.S. senator, has been the subject of speculation since her failed 2024 presidential bid. She downplayed talk of a run, telling reporters, “I have been home for two weeks and three days. My plans are to be in touch with my community.”
Without Harris in the race, Porter’s support rises to 21%, but 45% of voters remain undecided, signaling an open contest. “If Vice President Harris enters, she would start as the clear favorite,” said Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson College Polling.
The poll, conducted Feb. 10-11 among 1,000 registered California voters, has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. The Democratic primary sample of 469 voters has a credibility interval of ±4.5 percentage points.
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