California voters are choosing their next attorney general on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in a race shaped by the state’s ongoing legal clashes with the Trump administration.
Election results are pending. This article will be updated as election officials release vote totals.
Incumbent Rob Bonta, a Democrat first appointed to the post in 2021 and elected to a full term in 2022, faces Republican Michael Gates, a former Huntington Beach city attorney who also served as a deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Bonta’s official biography, his swearing-in announcement, Gates’ campaign biography and a federal DOJ record.
The attorney general heads the California Department of Justice, enforces state laws and represents the state in civil and criminal court cases, according to the Secretary of State’s description of the office.
Where they stand
Bonta said he expects to continue suing the Trump administration to protect Californians’ rights and would also focus on affordability and public safety if reelected, according to KCRA. “I believe I’ve delivered on the things that are most important to Californians,” Bonta said.
Gates emphasizes public safety and his experience as a trial attorney and prosecutor in his official candidate statement.
Gates pointed to his work in elections law, constitutional law and defense of police officers in Huntington Beach and for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, according to KCRA.
Federal lawsuits loom large
The race plays out against a backdrop of escalating legal fights between California and the Trump administration. On Nov. 2, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an emergency federal request to separate and withhold from counting mail ballots returned by people on a list of roughly 20,000 names. Federal officials alleged those people were likely noncitizens, according to court filings. The order did not decide the underlying lawsuit.
Bonta told CNBC on Nov. 2 that he and 23 other Democratic state attorneys general had been preparing for potential federal actions on Election Day. “Each of Trump’s attempts has failed,” Bonta said.
Pre-election polling
An ActiVote poll published Oct. 22 found Bonta leading Gates by 17.8 percentage points among 400 likely midterm voters. The poll, conducted Oct. 4 through Oct. 22, carried an average expected error of 4.9 percentage points.
How to vote and track results
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the California Secretary of State. Voters in line by 8 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballots.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 and received by county elections officials by Nov. 10, according to state ballot-return guidance. Voters mailing ballots on Election Day should obtain a hand-stamped postmark inside a post office.
Results will begin posting at 8 p.m. at electionresults.sos.ca.gov and will be updated throughout the night, according to the state’s official voter information guide. Official certified results will be posted by Dec. 11. Initial returns are unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted.
