The attorney general heads the state Department of Justice, enforces state law, represents California in court and oversees law enforcement agencies including district attorneys and sheriffs, according to the official voter guide.
Rob Bonta (D), incumbent
Bonta was appointed in 2021 and elected in 2022 after representing the East Bay in the Assembly, according to CalMatters, which reports he has filed or joined more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration. He did not submit a statement for the state voter guide. This month he announced new guidance for police at polling places.
Michael E. Gates (R)
Gates was Huntington Beach's city attorney for about a decade, joined the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division as a deputy assistant attorney general in 2025 and returned to Huntington Beach in November, CalMatters reports. His ballot designation is Deputy United States Attorney. In his statement he cites FBI data ranking California sixth in violent crime, says he would fully enforce Proposition 36, the 2024 measure toughening penalties for repeat theft and drug crimes, and says public safety "is not a partisan issue."
The stakes
The contest is largely about how California should deal with the federal government. Bonta's office has made suing Washington a core function; Gates's campaign focuses on crime at home.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.