A new poll finds Democratic former congresswoman Katie Porter leads a crowded field in the 2026 California governor’s race, after former Vice President Kamala Harris announced last month she would not launch a bid for the state’s highest office.

But with Harris taking herself out of the race, and possibly eyeing another presidential campaign, a significant segment of likely voters remains undecided when it comes to who should replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Porter, a favorite among progressives who represented Orange County in the U.S. House of Representatives until this year, leads with 18% of voters, up from 12% in April, according to the poll by Emerson College.

The poll comes as Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the first woman elected to the office, announced Friday she is dropping out of the

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