2026 results · California · California Governor

Xavier Becerra, the Democrat, holds California's governorship for the Democrats

Kamala Harris carried California by 20.1 points in 2024; this year's count is a 10.4-point move toward the Democrats.

California Governor: votes counted for each candidate
Candidate	Votes	Share	Share of the vote
Xavier BecerraDemocrat	6,483,228	65.3%
Steve HiltonRepublican	3,451,000	34.7%

Called by Call the Map, Nov 4, 4:49 PM EST · 86% counted.

About 86% of the expected vote counted9,934,228 votesCount last changed Nov 7, 12:48 PM EST · checked Nov 7, 4:59 PM ESTSource: the official state and county counts, gathered by civicAPI

The map

Loading the map.

What moved most

Scroll through California, part by part. The parts follow the federal government’s metropolitan areas: each big metro’s core counties, its suburbs and outer suburbs, the smaller metro areas, then the small towns and countryside.

What the count shows

Added together, the 58 counties compared moved 10.4 points toward the Democrats from the 2024 presidential vote.

The counties compared cast 63% as many votes as in 2024, from 84% in Amador County to 29% in Lake County. Turnout and the move from 2024 were barely related.

Kern County moved most: R+21.1 for president in 2024, R+0.7 this year

The 10 counties with the largest moves from the 2024 presidential vote, among those with 2,000 or more votes for president in 2024 and a quarter of that counted, and at least half a percent of the state's 2024 vote. Each line runs from the 2024 margin to this year’s.

CountyR+50EvenD+50Move

Kern County142,475 votes20.4 pts → D

Merced County49,487 votes20.3 pts → D

San Bernardino County476,060 votes18.2 pts → D

Tulare County77,706 votes17.3 pts → D

San Joaquin County165,420 votes17.3 pts → D

Stanislaus County99,420 votes16.8 pts → D

Riverside County443,297 votes16.7 pts → D

Los Angeles County2,801,623 votes12.5 pts → D

Fresno County165,252 votes12.2 pts → D

Monterey County99,494 votes10.4 pts → D

2024 president 2026

Santa Clara County added 138,196 net votes for Hilton against the 2024 margin, 85% of the statewide change

Across the 58 counties compared, the margin moved by 162,254 votes toward Hilton: this year’s lead in votes against the 2024 presidential lead in votes, county by county. The figure counts voters who changed sides and differences in who turned out alike; the count cannot tell them apart.

Santa Clara County+138,196 Hilton
Alameda County+98,078 Hilton
San Bernardino County+92,944 Becerra
San Mateo County+80,555 Hilton
Riverside County+80,450 Becerra
Sonoma County+60,655 Hilton
Kern County+58,643 Becerra
San Francisco County+55,567 Hilton

9 counties Donald Trump carried in 2024 are led by Becerra this year

Striped on the map above. Largest first.

San Bernardino CountyR+2.1D+16.1
Riverside CountyR+1.3D+15.5
San Joaquin CountyR+0.9D+16.4
Fresno CountyR+4.4D+7.8
Stanislaus CountyR+11.0D+5.9
Merced CountyR+4.4D+15.9
Imperial CountyR+0.9D+31.1
Lake CountyR+1.4D+12.2
Inyo CountyR+3.0D+4.8

What the places that moved have in common

Each of California’s counties, set against the Census Bureau’s figures for who lives there. A pattern across counties, not an exit poll: it does not say how any group of people voted.

Urban, suburban and rural counties

Urban8 counties, 58% of the vote8.6 pts → D

Suburban24 counties, 37% of the vote10.4 pts → D

Rural26 counties, 5% of the vote7.3 pts → D

2024 president 2026 · Urban: 1,000 or more residents per square mile; suburban: 100 to 999; rural: under 100 (our grouping).

Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 and 2023 Gazetteer; a county joins once its count is substantially in.

California’s ballot

All of California’s results The state legislature Ballot measures

The seats that changed party

StatewideDemocrats won 6 of California's 12 statewide races and lead 5 more.

won leads, still counting changed party. Margins are the leader’s share minus the runner-up’s, in points.

Every count on this page is the official count, from the state and its counties. Counts are unofficial until the state certifies them. The 2024 comparison is the presidential vote, Kamala Harris against Donald Trump, on the same ground. Margins are the Democrat minus the Republican, in points of all votes. Photos: Xavier Becerra, by United States Department of Health and Human Services, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed; Steve Hilton, by Gage Skidmore, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed.