Could Rep. Katie Porter be voters' top choice for governor in 2026? Here's what new polling suggests

Rep. Katie Porter is leaving Congress in January, but voters may want to see her back in leadership, a new independent poll suggests.

The survey, conducted by researchers from USC, Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona, found that the Irvine Democrat was the favorite among 14% of respondents who were asked to pick between 13 people — declared and potential candidates for governor — if the election was held today.

State Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, who sought to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022, came in second with 5.3% of the respondents choosing him.


But the survey also indicated that support levels for all potential and declared candidates are low, meaning voters have not yet made up their minds for 2026. About half of the respondents, 49.7%, said they didn’t know who they will vote for.

Even though this year’s presidential elections are well underway, the race to succeed Newsom — who cannot seek re-election due to term limits — has already attracted a diverse array of Democrats, including state Sen. Toni Atkins, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state schools chief Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former state controller Betty Yee.

https://www.ocregister.com/2024/10/01/could-rep-katie-porter-be-voters-top-choice-for-governor-in-2026-heres-what-new-polling-suggests/