Why Gavin Newsom Isn’t Running in California’s 2026 Governor Election

The California governor's race is heating up, but there’s a notable face missing from the scene. Gavin Newsom has been one of the loudest Democratic voices in the country, but he will not be on California’s 2026 gubernatorial ballot.

Gavin came up through San Francisco politics. According to his governor's profile, he became mayor of San Francisco in 2003, and he made national headlines the next year when he directed the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He later won election as California lieutenant governor in 2010, won reelection in 2014, and became California’s 40th governor after winning the 2018 race.

His time as governor has been loud, messy, and very California. Now, folks want to know why he’s not running in 2026.

Gavin is not running for governor in 2026 because he legally cannot run again. California limits governors from serving more than two terms, and Gavin is already in his second term. So the 2026 election is an open-seat race, meaning California voters will choose someone new.

That has turned the race into a political free-for-all. CalMatters described the office as powerful because California’s governor oversees a roughly $300 billion budget, signs or vetoes bills, appoints judges, and leads emergency response in the nation’s most populous state.

However, California’s June 2 primary ballot is stacked. The official certified candidate list includes major Democratic names like Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, Eric Swalwell, and Betty Yee. It also includes Republican candidates such as Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, along with several other Republicans, independents, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom candidates.

Xavier previously served as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and California attorney general. Chad is the Riverside County sheriff. Steve is a former Fox News host and former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Matt is the mayor of San Jose. Katie is a former Orange County congresswoman and UC Irvine law professor. Tom is a billionaire climate advocate. Tony is California’s superintendent of public instruction. Antonio is the former mayor of Los Angeles.

Gavin has not launched a presidential campaign, but he has absolutely left the door cracked open for 2028. During a CBS News interview, Robert Costa asked Gavin if he would give a White House run “serious thought” after the 2026 midterms. Gavin answered, “Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise.” He also added, “Fate will determine that,” when asked about whether he is moving closer to finding a reason to run nationally.

At the same time, Gavin keeps saying he has not made a final decision. He told CBS not to expect an answer anytime soon and suggested he will wait until after the 2026 midterm elections before deciding whether to launch a campaign.

Gavin has also increased his national visibility through battleground-state appearances, aggressive social media messaging, lawsuits against conservative media outlets, and frequent national TV interviews.