Is Gavin Newsom running for reelection? No, and that's due to term limits

Palm Springs Desert Sun

Nov. 8, 2024, 12:55 p.m. ET

Eleven states elected a governor in the 2024 general election, something voters in California will be tasked with in a not too distant future.

Californians will vote for a new governor in 2026. That person will replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot run for another term for this office. Newsom’s current term will end early January 2027, according to Ballotpedia.

Newsom was first elected as California’s governor in 2018, replacing the state's longest-serving governor Jerry Brown. He faced Republican John Cox in that gubernatorial race, who was among the candidates looking to unseat Newsom in the 2021 recall election.

The following year, Newsom was elected for his second term as governor.

How long is a governor’s term in California?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivers his inaugural address as his son Dutch walks on stage on January 7, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Gavin Newsom will begin his first term after serving as the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco as well as Lieutenant Governor of California since 2010 alongside outgoing governor Jerry Brown.

A governor’s term is four years, and they can serve two consecutive four-year terms if reelected, according to the California State Capitol Museum. However, Brown served two consecutive terms from 1975 to 1983, and then from 2011 to 2019 — it was possible because his time as governor from 1975 to 1983 hadn’t been covered by term limits, according to the California State Library.

Who will be California’s new governor? See who’s running in 2026

Among those who’ve announced their bid for governor include former Los Angeles Mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Former state Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and recently, businessman Stephen Cloobeck, the Los Angeles Times reported

People who are considering a run for the position include Attorney General Rob Bonta, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra for the Democrats and Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

USA TODAY reporter Kathryn Palmer contributed to this article.

Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

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