The political landscape in California and beyond is shifting rapidly as the 2026 governor's race heats up and national figures like Kamala Harris and Donald Trump chart dramatically different courses in the public eye. With public safety and law enforcement at the forefront of state politics, and with constitutional questions simmering at the federal level, voters and observers alike are bracing for a season of high-stakes contests and ideological clashes.
California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, as reported by ABC7 News, is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. The campaign is being defined by fierce debates over public safety, with prominent candidates leveraging their law enforcement credentials to stand out in a crowded field. The recent exit of former Vice President Kamala Harris from the race has left the field wide open, with no clear frontrunner as of late August 2025.
Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, is mounting his second bid for the governor’s mansion. According to California City News, Villaraigosa’s tenure as mayor was marked by a significant expansion of the Los Angeles Police Department—growing the force to over 10,000 sworn officers—and a nearly 50 percent reduction in violent crime. His public safety strategy included not just more officers, but also anti-gang programs targeting at-risk youth and school reforms in low-income neighborhoods. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck credited Villaraigosa’s comprehensive approach, noting that these measures contributed to the dramatic drop in crime during his administration.
Villaraigosa’s law enforcement record has not gone unnoticed. The Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), a powerful federation of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies incorporated in 1953, endorsed him in his 2018 gubernatorial run, citing his effectiveness in reducing crime and supporting public safety initiatives. As the 2026 campaign unfolds, Villaraigosa is once again seeking to position himself as the candidate of pragmatic, results-driven public safety reform.
On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is making waves with a tough-on-crime platform that has drawn both support and controversy. Elected sheriff in 2018, Bianco is a frequent guest on Fox News and has built a reputation as a vocal critic of COVID-19 restrictions, according to Mission Local. He formally declared his candidacy for governor in February 2025, vowing to abolish sanctuary protections for immigrants across California—a position that has polarized voters in the state’s diverse electorate.
Bianco’s campaign has attracted some unexpected endorsements. Notably, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, a Democrat, has thrown his support behind Bianco, underscoring the complex cross-party alliances that law enforcement issues can generate. As Mission Local points out, Miyamoto’s endorsement is a testament to Bianco’s appeal among some Democrats who prioritize public safety over party lines.
Despite these developments, Republicans continue to face steep odds in California’s deep-blue political environment. As Wikipedia notes, the GOP has not won a statewide race since 2006 and has not held any statewide office since 2011. However, The American Prospect suggests that with only a handful of Republicans in the race—including Fox News host Steve Hilton and Bianco—there is a strong likelihood that a Republican will advance to the general election under the state’s jungle primary system, which sends the top two finishers to the final round regardless of party.
PORAC’s influence remains a significant factor in the race. The organization’s endorsement process is closely watched, and its backing can provide a crucial boost to candidates seeking to burnish their public safety credentials. With law enforcement unions and advocacy groups playing an outsized role in California’s political arena, their support can often tip the balance in tight contests.
While the governor’s race unfolds, Kamala Harris is charting a new course outside the electoral arena. As reported by multiple outlets, Harris has announced an ambitious international book tour to promote her memoir, “107 Days.” The tour, set to begin on September 24, 2025, in New York City, will span 15 cities across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Stops include major metropolitan centers such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington D.C., London, and Toronto, with the tour concluding at Miami’s Ziff Opera House in late November.
“107 Days” offers a candid, behind-the-scenes account of Harris’s abbreviated presidential campaign, which began after President Joe Biden’s dramatic exit from the 2024 race and ended with her loss to Donald Trump in the general election. The book’s title refers to the exact length of her campaign. In a marked departure from traditional political strategy, Harris has emphasized that her tour is about listening and engaging with the public, not immediately soliciting votes. She will appear at small and independent bookstores, aiming to foster genuine conversations and reconnect with voters in a non-transactional way.
Harris’s approach stands in stark contrast to the combative rhetoric dominating the national stage. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has ignited fresh controversy with remarks suggesting he might seek to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit. During a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump joked, “So let me just see, three and a half years from now, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections. That’s good.” While the comment was delivered in a humorous tone, it has nonetheless raised alarms among political observers and constitutional scholars, as reported in August 2025.
Further fueling speculation, former White House strategist Steve Bannon has publicly stated that plans are in the works for Trump to run and win again in 2028. Trump himself has told news outlets that “there are methods” to get around current constitutional restrictions, though he has not provided specifics or legal justification. These comments have set the stage for ongoing debates about the durability of democratic norms and the potential for unprecedented political conflict.
The diverging paths of Harris and Trump highlight the stark choices facing American voters. Harris’s book tour is widely seen as a soft-launch strategy to rebuild her national profile and gauge public sentiment ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run. Her focus on listening and reflection marks a deliberate contrast to Trump’s provocative challenges to constitutional boundaries. As one leader seeks to promote dialogue and healing, the other tests the limits of presidential power, underscoring the high stakes of the nation’s political future.
Back in California, the governor’s race remains a microcosm of these larger national trends. With law enforcement politics front and center, and with the field wide open following Harris’s exit, candidates on both sides are jockeying for position in a contest that promises to shape the state’s direction for years to come.
As the campaigns intensify and the book tour hits the road, Californians and Americans alike are left to ponder the crossroads at which their democracy stands—and the leaders who will chart its course in the years ahead.
