Polls and Politics
Eric Swalwell photo courtesy Jimmy Kimmel Live! 11-20-25
Bay Area Democrat and President Trump critic Eric Swalwell is making serious waves in the California governor’s race less than a month after officially starting his campaign. The U.S. Representative for the 14th Congressional District announced his run for governor back on November 20. The declaration included an appearance on the late-night talk show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
There is still no clear frontrunner in the governor’s race, but Swalwell has made an impact. In a recent poll of registered voters, Swalwell leads the Democratic candidates with 12%. Former U.S. Representative and now Orange County college professor, Katie Porter, slipped to second place with 11%. On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is the top choice with 13% followed by Former Fox News host Steve Hilton with 12%. However, 31% of the voters are still undecided. These results from the latest Emerson College Poll were released last Thursday.
As in previous polls, a large number of voters are not ready to commit to a candidate for governor just yet, but that is expected to change as the June 2026 primary gets closer.
