Some of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ supporters are now shifting their support to former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race after Harris opted not to run, according to a Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll released Thursday.
The survey found that 30% of registered voters who would have backed Harris now intend to support Porter. Meanwhile, 16% said they would back former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and 11% said they favor former Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Harris, who was rumored as a potential contender to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, officially declined a run in July. Jack Citrin, a UC Berkeley political science professor and partner on the poll, said Porter’s gains likely stem from her name recognition and clear progressive ideology. “She has a particular progressive stamp — more than the other two guys — and I think that’s part of her appeal,” Citrin told Politico.
In a head-to-head matchup, Porter leads with 21% support, while Becerra and Villaraigosa are tied at 9% each. Porter, who served in Congress from 2019 to 2025, previously ran in California’s 2024 Senate race but placed third in the all-party primary with 15% of the vote, despite raising $28 million. Adam Schiff, the eventual winner, came first in the primary.
Porter has faced scrutiny in the past over allegations of a toxic work environment. Anonymous complaints surfaced in December 2022 from Capitol Hill staffers, including claims that she was prone to rage and made racist remarks. Porter responded during an April 2023 appearance on ABC’s The View, suggesting that accusations of “bad bosses” disproportionately target women and people of color.
Despite past controversies, Porter has outraised her competitors in the governor’s race so far, bringing in $3 million between March and June, Politico reported Aug. 1.
The poll surveyed 875 registered voters, including 367 Democrats, with interviews conducted in English and Spanish. The full sample has a margin of error of ±2.6%, while a subset of 299 POLITICO Pro subscribers had a margin of error of ±3.7%.