2022 California gubernatorial election

The 2022 California gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of California, with the statewide top-two primary election taking place on June 7, 2022. Incumbent Democratic Party Governor Gavin Newsom was re-elected to a second term after surviving a recall election in 2021, during his first term.

The elections featured universal mail-in ballots; in-person voting was also available. All statewide elected offices are currently held by Democrats. Newsom won 61.9% of the vote in both the 2018 gubernatorial election and the 2021 recall election. He received 55.9% of the top-two primary vote and faced Republican Party state senator Brian Dahle, who received 17.7% of the primary vote, in the general election.

Newsom received 59.2% of the vote to Dahle's 40.8%, a smaller margin of victory than in 2018 and the first time the Democratic candidate failed to win 60% of the vote since 2010. Dahle flipped five counties that Newsom carried in 2018, namely Lake, Merced (although Merced voted to recall Newsom), Orange, San Bernardino, and San Joaquin. Dahle received 32% of the vote in Los Angeles County, the highest percentage received by a Republican in the state's most populous county since 2014. Dahle also managed to carry two congressional districts represented by Democrats (CA-09 and CA-47). This election marks the fourth consecutive California gubernatorial election in which a Democratic candidate won.

Advanced to general

 * Gavin Newsom, incumbent governor

Eliminated in primary

 * Anthony Fanara, restaurant owner
 * Armando Perez-Serrato, businessman and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Joel Ventresca, former Service Employees International Union committee member, retired airport analyst and perennial candidate

Advanced to general

 * Brian Dahle, state senator from the 1st district and former Minority Leader of the California State Assembly

Eliminated in primary

 * Ronald A. Anderson, contractor and businessman
 * Gurinder Bhangoo (write-in)
 * Shawn Collins, U.S. Navy veteran and attorney
 * Ron Jones, former police officer
 * Jenny Rae Le Roux, entrepreneur and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * David Lozano, attorney and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Daniel R. Mercuri, businessman, candidate in the 2021 recall election and for CA's 25th congressional district in 2020
 * Cristian Raul Morales, manufacturing executive
 * Robert C. Newman, psychologist and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Lonnie Sortor, business owner
 * Anthony Trimino, entrepreneur and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Major Williams, entrepreneur and write-in candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Leo S. Zacky, businessman, broadcaster, and candidate in the 2021 recall election

Declined

 * Larry Elder, conservative talk show host, author, and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Kevin Faulconer, former mayor of San Diego (2014–2020) and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Kimberly Guilfoyle, television personality, former advisor to Donald Trump and ex-wife of Gavin Newsom
 * Kevin Kiley, state assemblyman from the 6th district (2016–present) and candidate in the 2021 recall election (running for CA-03)

Eliminated in primary

 * Heather Collins, small business owner and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Luis J. Rodriguez, poet, novelist, and candidate for governor in 2014

Eliminated in primary

 * Jeff Scott (write-in)

Eliminated in primary

 * Serge Fiankan, small business owner
 * James G. Hanink, former Loyola Marymount University philosophy professor and candidate in the 2021 recall election
 * Woodrow Sanders III, entrepreneur and engineer
 * Frederic C. Schultz, attorney
 * Reinette Senum, former mayor of Nevada City
 * Michael Shellenberger, environmental policy writer and Democratic candidate for governor in 2018
 * Bradley Zink, children's book author

Withdrew

 * Adriel Hampton, digital media businessman and candidate for CA's 10th congressional district in 2009

Primary election
The list of candidates was announced on Mar 31, 2022 by the secretary of state.

Results
[[File:2022 California gubernatorial primary election results map by county.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|Results by county {{legend|#7996E2|Newsom}}

{{legend|#DFEEFF|20–30%}}

{{legend|#BDD3FF|30–40%}}

{{legend|#A5B0FF|40–50%}}

{{legend|#7996E2|50–60%}}

{{legend|#6674DE|60–70%}}

{{legend|#584CDE|70–80%}} {{legend|#E27F7F|Dahle}}

{{legend|#FFC8CD|30–40%}}

{{legend|#FFB2B2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#E27F7F|50–60%}}

{{legend|#D75D5D|60–70%}} ]]

Debates
Governor Gavin Newsom and State Senator Brian Dahle met on October 23 for their only debate.

Polling

 * Aggregate polls
 * Graphical summary


 * Gavin Newsom vs. Kevin Faulconer
 * Gavin Newsom vs. John Cox
 * Gavin Newsom vs. Larry Elder
 * Gavin Newsom vs. Kevin Kiley

By county

 * Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
 * Lake (largest municipality: Clearlake)
 * Merced (largest municipality: Merced)
 * Orange (largest municipality: Anaheim)
 * San Bernardino (largest municipality: San Bernardino)
 * San Joaquin (largest municipality: Stockton)

By congressional district
Newsom won 38 of 52 congressional districts, with the remaining 14 going to Dahle, including two that elected Democrats.