California Governor’s Race Narrows as Former Lawmaker Drops Out

Former state Senate leader Toni Atkins, a Democrat, ended her campaign in an effort to unite the party.

Democrat Toni Atkins said she planned to “keep fighting for California’s future.” Courtesy of Toni Atkins's Office

San Diego politician and state legislative leader Toni Atkins has dropped out of the 2026 race to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, she announced Sept. 29.

The former state Senate leader, a Democrat, was making a run to become the state’s first woman and first lesbian to be elected governor.

“California, though my campaign for governor is coming to an end, the fight continues,” Atkins, 63, posted on Facebook, along with a letter to her supporters.

In her message, she highlighted her accomplishments in public service and her personal history in the state.

“Growing up in rural Virginia, I was often reminded that I didn’t fit in—too country, too poor, too gay. But when I came to this state, I found something different: opportunity and acceptance.”

She was able to buy a home, marry her spouse Jennifer LeSar, and build a career in public service.

“California gave me everything,” she said.

Atkins has served as a San Diego councilwoman, acting mayor, speaker of the Assembly, and a state senator. She resigned from her Senate seat last year to run for governor.

Atkins said she planned to “keep fighting for California’s future.”

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve California,” she wrote. “I believe, with all my heart, that California is worth fighting for.”

Atkins said that President Donald Trump and his allies were threatening everything California Democrats had worked for, and that she and her colleagues had to make sure “California has a Democratic governor leading the fight, and that means uniting as Democrats.”

State Senate President Toni Atkins hugs Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) after he was named her successor at the Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 28, 2023. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

The 2026 primary race to succeed Newsom—who can’t run again because of term limits—continues to take shape.

Last week, Democrat Ian Calderon, former majority leader of the California Assembly, entered the crowded field. In his announcement, he said he was seeking to represent the state’s younger generation.

A recent poll showed Atkins had captured about 4 percent support from voters, placing her ninth in the race.

Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine took the top spot with 21 percent, followed by Republican Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, with 15 percent, and Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, who garnered 10 percent.

Other candidates include state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Controller Betty Yee, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.