Democrat Katie Porter and Republican Chad Bianco are the leading candidates in the race to succeed termed-out California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a new poll released on Aug. 21.

A sample of 1,445 randomly selected voters taken from July 28 to Aug. 12 by Politico and its partners also indicated that Porter, a former congresswoman from Irvine, captured the largest share—30 percent—of voters who would have supported Kamala Harris.

Harris announced on July 30 that she would not run for governor in 2026, clearing the way for others in the crowded field.

California uses a primary system that includes candidates from all parties. This system, sometimes called a “jungle primary,” allows the two candidates with the most votes to move on to the general election.

Porter was favored by 21 percent of voters surveyed, while Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, snagged 15 percent.

Porter was the only Democrat in the top three slots. Her campaign did not return a request for comment about the poll.

Bianco’s campaign said the poll showed that Californians were “looking for a new type of leader.”

“Sheriff Bianco leads with integrity, and the voters trust him to tell them the truth about the state of our state,” Erica Melendrez, his campaign manager, said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times. “The sheriff, with a 30-year career in local law enforcement, is the only Republican who can win a statewide contest in California.”

In third place was another Republican, former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who entered the race in April and was favored by 10 percent of those surveyed.

Republicans captured two of the top three slots, although nine of the survey’s list of 11 names are Democrats.

In February, California’s Democrats still held a strong lead with 45 percent of registered voters, followed by Republicans with 25 percent, according to the California Secretary of State.

Hilton said that despite the poll results, he expects to be one of the top two candidates in the state’s primary election in 2026.

His campaign, which launched in April, has been laying out a positive alternative for Californians seeking change after years of one-party rule, according to the candidate from Palo Alto.

“I think I’ve got the right combination of policy experience and business experience to really lead the challenge against the [Democratic] Party next year,” Hilton told The Epoch Times. “That’s why I’m confident I’ll be in the top two next year.”

Once people hear his ideas and see him as a viable alternative, Hilton said, “Democrats might be in for a shock next year in California.”