Richard Winger has blogged about the possibility of two Republican and no Democratic candidates on the November ballot for Governor of California this year. This article addresses that possibility and other elements of California’s 2026 elections.
A California Superior Court will hear Ware v Weber, Superior Court 26WM000074, on Thursday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. This is the lawsuit over whether Butch Ware, the Green Party candidate for Governor of California, should be on the June 2 primary ballot.
It is common in California trial courts for the judges to issue a tentative decision on the day before the hearing.
On March 20, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang issued a tentative decision in Gilbert v Weber, 26WM000011. This is the case filed by a voter who alleges that the California Secretary of State has a duty to determine if Congressman Eric Swalwell meets the California Constitutional requirement of five years residence in California in order to run for Governor.
Here is the ruling, which says that the Secretary of State does not have a duty to investigate duration of residency requirements.
The decision takes no position on whether the U.S. Constitution bars California from having a duration of residency requirement in its state Constitution. UPDATE: see this news story about the decision.
On March 20, the University of Southern California refused to change its mind about who should be invited into its March 24 gubernatorial debate. See this story.
On March 16, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber removed Butch Ware from the June 2, 2026 primary ballot. He is the Green Party candidate for Governor.
California wants two copies of each year’s tax return for the last five years. One copy of each year’s return must be identical to the original, and the other copy must be the same except that certain items must be redacted. The Secretary of State found a flaw in the redaction process. Ware’s phone number was not properly redacted, because the redaction software didn’t function correctly. Ware v Weber, 26WM000074.
On March 19, Ware filed a lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court to get back on the ballot. Here is his filing. The case is assigned to Judge James Arguelles, the same judge who last week put a congressional candidate on the ballot on qualifications grounds.
