Voter Guide 2026

2026 General Election • Tuesday, November 3

Statewide Candidates

For non-endorsed races, California Farm Bureau asked: "Why should Farm Bureau members vote for you?" Their responses are printed below.

Governor

Steven Hilton (R)

California’s farmers and ranchers feed America. But one-party rule is crushing them with man-made water scarcity, soaring fuel and energy costs, and endless regulations. As governor, I’ll protect water rights, expand water storage, rein in CARB, cut costs, scrap ridiculous regulations and let farmers and ranchers get on with farming.

Xavier Becerra (D)

Carolina and I are children of the Valley—a farmworker’s daughter, a road builder’s son. I know what agriculture means to California and our economy. As governor, I’ll deliver water certainty, regulatory relief, and make sure farmers—and farm workers—prosper.

Lieutenant Governor

Fiona Ma (D)

Endorsed by California Farm Bureau

Treasurer Fiona Ma, California’s “Urban Cowgirl,” has visited 150 farms and received the California Farm Bureau’s endorsement. In July 2024, she co-founded the San Francisco Farm Bureau, California’s 54th chapter, to educate San Franciscans, connect them with farmers and ranchers, and keep producing the freshest, most trusted and tastiest food.

Attorney General

Michael Gates (R)

Michael Gates understands that California agriculture thrives when farmers, ranchers and rural communities have a voice, not another mandate from Sacramento. As Attorney General, he will defend local control, protect property rights, support law enforcement, fight regulatory overreach and ensure California’s agricultural communities have an advocate who respects their livelihoods.

Rob Bonta (D)

Our farmers feed the nation and anchor our rural economies, and they deserve certainty—in their markets, their supply chains, and their bottom lines. It’s why I went to court as Attorney General to stop the illegal tariffs squeezing our growers, and it’s why I’ll always stand up for California agriculture.

Secretary of State

Donald P. Wagner (R)

The strength of California is its people—growing food, creating energy, running businesses. Sacramento fails them. I will work daily for good legislation that helps farmers and businesses, and to restore electoral integrity. Every eligible person should vote—but no ineligible voter should have a ballot.

Dr. Shirley Weber (D)

Many Farm Bureau priorities run through the Secretary of State’s office: most ag workers run their own small businesses. As SoS, I’ve streamlined the business registration process with a new online portal. Additionally, vote by mail is useful for those of us who live in rural parts of the state.

Controller

Herb Morgan (R)

California agriculture deserves a Controller who understands that every wasted tax dollar makes it harder to invest in water, infrastructure, and thriving rural communities. I’ll bring Radical Transparency to Sacramento, exposing waste, fraud, and inefficiency while protecting taxpayers and ensuring California’s resources support the farmers, families, and communities that feed America. Learn more at HerbMorgan.com

Malia Cohen (D)

California’s farmers and ranchers feed our nation and the world, and your success matters to California’s success. As Controller, I’m focused on the issues that matter to you—from property taxes, water and agricultural land to fuel-tax refunds, rural infrastructure and keeping California’s finances strong. I’m honored to be your partner.

Treasurer

Jennifer Hawks (R)

California farmers feed our families and drive our economy, yet rising costs, water uncertainty, regulations, and taxes threaten their future. As State Treasurer, I will bring business discipline, accountability, and transparency to Sacramento, protect taxpayer dollars, support critical water infrastructure, and ensure California agriculture has a strong financial advocate.

Eleni Kounalakis (D)

I grew up in rural Sacramento County, surrounded by farms and agricultural land, so I understand agriculture’s importance to our communities and economy. As Treasurer, I’ll fight for the water storage and infrastructure agriculture needs, advocate for California farmers in global markets, and ensure their voices are heard in Sacramento.

Insurance Commissioner

Ben Allen (D)

Endorsed by California Farm Bureau

California farmers and ranchers are getting squeezed—premiums climbing, policies canceled, coverage harder to find. As Insurance Commissioner, Ben Allen will fight to lower costs, hold insurers accountable and fix a broken system that’s failing California. His opponent wants a new government-run insurance program that will increase costs and bureaucracy.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Sonja Shaw (Non-Partisan)

Agriculture needs skilled workers, not just four-year degrees. I will strengthen post-high school career and technical pathways to develop talent in rural and agricultural trades, and I will fight one-size-fits-all state mandates that burden rural school districts and ignore the realities that families in ag country live every day.

Richard Barrera (Non-Partisan)

No candidate statement was provided by the publication deadline.

Legislative Endorsements

US Congressional Endorsements

House District 4 Mike Thompson (D)

House District 13 Adam Gray (D)

House District 21 Jim Costa (D)

House District 22 David Valadao (R)

House District 48 Jim Desmond (R)

State Assembly & Senate Endorsements

Assembly District 27 Brian Pacheco (D)

Assembly District 36 Jeff Gonzalez (R)

Senate District 4 Alexandra Duarte (R)

Senate District 14 Esmeralda Soria (D)

Statewide Ballot Measures

The California Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors adopted the following recommendations on statewide ballot measures before California voters on Nov. 3.

Proposition	Description	Position	Reason
Proposition 1	The Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. Authorizes $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homeownership and veteran home-loan programs, including farmworker housing.	OPPOSE	California is already paying off billions in bond debt, all at a cost to the general fund to service the debt payments. While a critical need, the funding for farmworker housing is not enough to make this a worthy effort.
Proposition 2	Save for California’s Future Act. Raises the state’s rainy day fund cap from 10% to 20% of general fund revenues and expands required paydown of state liabilities.	NO POSITION	California Farm Bureau does not have policy on this topic.
Proposition 3	California Children’s Education and Health Care Protection Act of 2026. Makes permanent the 2012 voter-approved high-income tax rates, directing revenue to K-12 schools and community colleges.	OPPOSE	California Farm Bureau opposes income tax increases.
Proposition 4	California Fair Elections Act of 2026. Establishes a public campaign financing option for candidates for elective office, subject to expenditure limits and eligibility criteria.	OPPOSE	Funding for this program would come from the general fund. It is an unwise use of revenue given our budget situation.
Proposition 5	Elections: Recall of State Officers. Eliminates the simultaneous successor election in a state officer recall; the office instead remains vacant and is filled per the Constitution and statute.	NO POSITION	California Farm Bureau does not have policy on this topic.
Proposition 37	Creates Loan Program for Middle-Income Buyers of Qualified New Homes. Authorizes up to $25 billion in revenue bonds to offer middle-income buyers fixed-rate mortgages for a portion of the purchase price of qualified new homes.	NO POSITION	A self-funded revenue bond differentiates itself from a general obligation bond. Because this bond is self-funded, California Farm Bureau has no position on it.
Proposition 38	Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Research. Authorizes $8.4 billion in state general obligation bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research, repaid from the general fund.	OPPOSE	Shifting government program costs from general tax revenues to additional public indebtedness through bond issuance to mitigate budget shortfalls is bad fiscal policy.
Proposition 39	Establishes Additional Voter Identification and Citizenship Verification Requirements. Requires voters to present government-issued ID at the polls, or the last four digits of an ID number by mail, and requires annual county reporting on citizenship verification.	SUPPORT	Policy supports safe and secure elections.
Proposition 40	Imposes One-Time Tax on Certain Individuals and Trusts. Imposes a one-time tax of up to 5% on individuals and trusts with covered assets over $1 billion, directing revenue to healthcare and food assistance.	OPPOSE	California Farm Bureau opposes income tax increases.
Proposition 41	Requires Audits of Programs Funded by New State Special Taxes. Requires audits of programs funded by new state special taxes and prohibits new state taxes from being excluded from the existing voter-approved spending limit.	SUPPORT	Fiscal responsibility and transparency is critical with taxpayer money.
Proposition 42	Prohibits New State Personal Property Taxes and Certain Retroactive State Taxes. Prohibits new state taxes on the ownership of personal property, including business interests and intellectual property, and prohibits retroactive state taxes.	SUPPORT	It is already expensive to live in California. There should not be another tax burden that will impact all Californians.
Proposition 43	Local Taxes: Limitation. Requires local special taxes, including those imposed by citizen initiative, to receive two-thirds voter approval, closing a court-created initiative loophole.	SUPPORT	Restores two-thirds vote on local special taxes, which must be protected.
Proposition 44	Requires Community Health Clinics Spend 90% of Revenue on Program Services. Requires nonprofit federally qualified health centers to spend at least 90% of revenue on direct program services rather than administration or overhead.	NO POSITION	California Farm Bureau does not have policy on this topic.
Proposition 45	Modifies Environmental Review for Certain Projects. To encourage investment in infrastructure and limit California Environmental Quality Act litigation abuse, sets deadlines, streamlines review and limits litigation for housing, transportation, water, health and clean energy projects; directs CEQA to give substantial weight to project approval and to prevail over conflicting state laws.	SUPPORT	CEQA reform is desperately needed. Proposition 45 will assist in priority issues for Farm Bureau members—wildfire fuel reduction projects, water infrastructure. While there are members and policy on both sides of this argument, the overwhelming benefit that comes from Proposition 45 outweighs the negatives and should be supported.

2026 Voter Guide