An Emerson California Poll released October 28 for the gubernatorial race shows: Steve Hilton (R) 16%; Katie Porter (D) 15%; Chad Bianco (R) 11%; Antonio Villaraigosa (D) 5%; Xavier Becerra (D) 5%; Tony Thurmond (D) 3%; Betty Yee (D) 2%; Ian Calderon (D) 1%; Stephen Cloobeck (D) 1%.

With seven Democrats of note in the race, and two Republicans of note in the race, there is a possibility that the two leading Republicans might place first and second. Under California’s top-two system, that would mean that in November 2026, there would be two Republicans on the ballot, and no one else. No write-in space is on California general election ballots for congress and partisan state office.

Steve Hilton is a television commentator; Chad Bianco is Sheriff of Riverside County.

On October 31, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, dismissed a second lawsuit filed by Congressmember Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to invalidate the California redistricting ballot measure that is before California voters on November 4. Jackson’s first lawsuit had been dismissed by the same judge on October 23 on standing grounds.

The second lawsuit differed from the first by the addition of a California Republican congressmember, Darrell Issa, as a co-plaintiff. But that didn’t overcome the standing problem. Here is the decision in the new lawsuit, Jackson v Weber, n.d. Texas, 2:25-236

A poll published October 28 by the London Times shows that no party in Britain has as much as 30% of the electorate. It shows the following percentages for party support: Reform 27%, Labour 17%, Conservative 17%, Green 17%, Liberal Democrats 15%.

See this commentary about this poll, and why Britain should switch to proportional representation. It is by Darren Hughes, head of the Electoral Reform Society of Great Britaiin.