California Attorney General Rob Bonta is reportedly considering a run for governor of the Golden State in 2026.
Bonta, a Democrat, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he is “seriously considering” running for the top job in California in three years but that he is currently focused on his duties as the state’s attorney general.
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Current Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is term-limited, meaning the race to succeed him as governor of the Democratic stronghold will likely be fierce.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis announced in April she would be seeking the governorship, hoping to follow Newsom’s trajectory of going from lieutenant governor to governor of the Golden State. Former state Controller Betty Yee also announced she would be running for the governorship last month.
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Recent attorneys general of California have gone on to higher offices, with former California Attorney General Kamala Harris being elected to the Senate in 2016 and as vice president in 2020. The most recent state attorney general before Bonta, Xavier Becerra, is serving as the secretary of health and human services.
The most recent attorney general to be elected as governor following their tenure as the Golden State’s top prosecutor was Jerry Brown, who served as attorney general from 2007 until 2011 before being elected to his second tenure as governor from 2011 until 2019.
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In 2018, then-state Attorney General Becerra declined to run for governor, clearing the way for Newsom to go from lieutenant governor to governor.
Newsom has not weighed in on the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race or the fierce 2024 primary for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who is retiring at the end of her term. Newsom appointed Bonta to his current position in 2021.
