California governor’s race wide open, with voters still undecided
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
It’s Amelia with your need-to-know stories on California’s capital.
On August 11, 2025, I’ll be watching the night sky. The Perseid meteor shower starts, with its peak Tuesday night showcasing 100 meteors per hour. This follows the recent peak of a sturgeon moon and a six-planet celestial parade this past weekend.
STATE OF THE GOVERNOR’S RACE Via Nicole Nixon...
With Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis officially out of the running for governor, here’s a look at who’s still in, who’s got the most money and what polls are saying:
First, the race is still up for any candidate to win. For months, polls have shown that a huge chunk of Californians are undecided. An Emerson College poll released Friday showed 38% of voters haven’t made up their mind yet. That’s down from 54% in April but still a significant block of voters.
Former Rep. Katie Porter topped the latest poll with 18% saying they would vote for her if the primary was today. The Democrat, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate last year, turned heads with an impressive $3 million fundraising haul between her March campaign announcement and June.
Republican commentator Steve Hilton was next on the Emerson poll with support from 12% of respondents. The former Fox News host raised $1.5 million during the first half of the year but spent over $1 million. He has nearly $800,000 in his campaign account.
Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, another Republican, had 7% support. He raised $1.6 million so far this year, more than Hilton, though Bianco announced his campaign two months before his Republican primary opponent. He has just over $1 million on hand.
The other Democrats included in the poll all claimed single digits:
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had 5% (and $3.3 million)
Former HHS Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra had 3% and $2.1 million)
At 2% were billionaire businessman Stephen Cloobeck, who just paid his campaign $10 million; former Senate leader Toni Atkins, who has $4.2 million on hand; and former state Controller Betty Yee, who has $637,000
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond had 1% – down from 2% in an April poll — and $557,000 on hand
Kounalakis, no longer in the race, had 3%
Los Angeles businessman Rick Caruso had 4% in the poll. Caruso, a former Republican who registered as a Democrat in an unsuccessful bid for LA mayor in 2022, has not announced a campaign for governor but his X post on Kounalakis’ decision to run for treasurer instead of governor read like a candidate’s statement.
The real estate executive poured $100 million into his own mayoral bid and could do the same for a statewide campaign, where he has a chance to woo voters who are more moderate than in LA.
…AND REDISTRICTING
The Emerson College poll asked voters a slew of other questions, including what they thought of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to gerrymander California in a tit-for-tat with Texas.
One-third of voters polled (33%) support the proposal and a quarter of voters (25%) oppose it. The largest group, 42%, said they were unsure, giving both sides of the debate room to make their arguments ahead of a likely special election in November.
On Newsom’s job performance, 44% said they approve while 38% said they disapprove. President Donald Trump had a 30% approval rating and 58% disapproval.
SUPERMAN JOINS ICE
Via Amelia Wu...
Dean Cain, an actor best known for portraying Superman on a 1990s television show, will be sworn in as an “honorary ICE Officer” in August. This announcement coincides with a recruitment drive by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the Trump administration continues its mass deportations.
To aid with recruitment efforts, the Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday the removal of age limits for applicants.
“I felt it was important to join our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans and not just talk about it, so I joined up,” Cain, 59, said in an announcement video. “So here’s your opportunity to join ICE.
The video highlights the significant benefits and competitive compensation available to prospective ICE officers.
“Superman is encouraging Americans to become real-life superheroes by answering their country’s call to join the brave men and women of ICE to help protect our communities to arrest the worst of the worst,” a Homeland Security X post said.
Beyond “defending the homeland,” new recruits are offered an attractive package of incentives. These also include student loan payment assistance, enhanced retirement benefits, and specialized pay for those in field operations and law enforcement roles, according to a Homeland Security press release.
“If you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets,” Cain said in the video. “I like that, I voted for that. They need your help. We need your help to protect our homeland and our families.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I remain as committed as ever to serving the people of California and ensuring that our state continues to lead the nation.”
— Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California on dropping out of the governor’s race
Best of The Bee:
- Eleni Kounalakis drops out of CA governor’s race to run for a different office, via Nicole Nixon
- Sen. Adam Schiff joins ceremony naming Tahoe bike trail after Dianne Feinstein, via Ethan Wolin
- California homeowners rejected a property tax. Now, fire districts struggle, via Ishani Desai
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 4:55 AM.