State or region
Governor
How it's filled
- In plain words
- Elected every 4 years
- Exact method
- Elected statewide by popular vote every 4 years; top-two open primary (Proposition 14, 2010): the two leading primary candidates, whatever their party, meet in the general election
- Seats
- 1
Who holds it now
- Gavin Newsom Democratic since January 2019 Report Source: gov.ca.gov, checked
Next vote
Sources
- sos.ca.gov · checked California Secretary of State, Primary Elections in California, read 2026-10-12: state constitutional and state legislative offices are voter-nominated; the top two primary finishers advance to the general election regardless of party. Adds top-two to selection_detail. For: Governor
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked Wikipedia lists of current US governors, lieutenant governors and 2026 state legislative elections, read 2026-10-12; chamber sizes and seat-up counts as listed there. Fallback: Wikipedia, because the state sites were not read; cross-checked against the state's official site address. Office, seat count and selection method. For: Governor
- gov.ca.gov · checked Wikipedia lists of current US governors, lieutenant governors and 2026 state legislative elections, read 2026-10-12; chamber sizes and seat-up counts as listed there. Fallback: Wikipedia, because the state sites were not read; cross-checked against the state's official site address. Governor in office, party and start date. For: Gavin Newsom, current term
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked Wikipedia lists of current US governors, lieutenant governors and 2026 state legislative elections, read 2026-10-12; chamber sizes and seat-up counts as listed there. Fallback: Wikipedia, because the state sites were not read; cross-checked against the state's official site address. Election date (first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, set by state law). For: General election, November 3, 2026