Former Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement Wednesday that she will not run for California governor next year has left the race wide open without a clear frontrunner. For the past eight years, Gavin Newsom has served as governor, and with his second term up, 2026 presents an opportunity for a fresh face to lead the state.

There's a large field running of Republicans and Democrats, which includes some well-known figures in the state, but many who voters are not familiar with.

Porter is a former congresswoman from Orange County who served in Washington, D.C. from 2019 to 2025, leaving to run for Senate and losing in the primary to Adam Schiff. Porter has a long career as a law professor and is a tenured professor at UCI's law school.

Antonio Villaraigosa served as Los Angeles Mayo

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