(POLITICAL POWER RANKER) — Former Rep. Katie Porter (D) and former Fox News host Steve Hilton (R) have emerged as frontrunners in the 2026 race for California governor, according to a new poll from Emerson College. The poll, commissioned by Nexstar Media for The Hill and Inside California Politics, showed the field is about as wide open as can be.

Director of Emerson College Polling Spencer Kimball and Political Content Director for Nexstar Media Group Chris Berg discuss the findings in this week's episode of Political Power Ranker. Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo also weighs in on what the poll means for the race moving forward.

Each week, Chris and Spencer will examine who’s up and who’s down in the world of politics based on the latest data from Emerson College Polling,

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