Election Day In San Ramon: What's On The Ballot For June 2

SAN RAMON, CA — San Ramon voters have just one more day to cast their votes for gubernatorial, congressional, and local assembly races, following an unusually unpredictable season.

The biggest headline grabber has been the governor's race. At the start, Democrats had trouble settling on a frontrunner, and many worried that only two Republican candidates, political commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, would continue to the fall runoff.

The calculus changed once one of the former frontrunners Eric Swalwell suspended his candidacy and resigned from Congress amid sexual assault allegations. That left room for Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general and head of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration, to shoot up to the top of the polls. According to the latest polling, Becerra leads comfortably, while Steve Hilton and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer are virtually tied for second place.

Down-ballot, voters will weigh in on congressional races. Thanks largely to the naked gerrymandering of Proposition 50 passed by Golden State voters last year in a rebuke of President Donald Trump, 2026 is shaping up to be a slog for the California GOP, according to the polls. The party currently holds just eight of the state’s 52 congressional seats after the Jan. 6 death of Northern California’s Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. According to the Cook Political Report, only four of those eight are solidly Republican heading into the primary.

Closer to home, voters will cast ballots in several local races. Local city council, mayoral, and school board races will not be on the ballot until November. Patch reached out to primary candidates with identical questions. Below, see the answers of candidates who responded.

Primary Races To Watch in San Ramon:

Assembly District 16:

• Meet Chirag Kathrani, Candidate For 16th Assembly District
• Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
• Joseph Rubay

10th Congressional District:

• Meet Josh Hamilton, Candidate For California's 10th Congressional District
• Meet Mitchell Maisler, Candidate For California's 10th Congressional District
• Mark DeSaulnier
• Rob Rowland
• Jeffrey Frese
• Angela Griffiths
• Katherine Piccini

The Governor’s Race

California's 2026 gubernatorial contest has become one of the most unpredictable races in political history, and with just one month left before the primary election, the slate of leading contenders to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to evolve.

Swalwell's departure and political collapse had a tremendous impact on the gubernatorial race, according to experts. Before the sexual assault allegations surfaced, Swalwell, who represented the Bay Area, received the support of 17 percent of likely voters, polls showed.

Swalwell's April 11 gubernatorial exit triggered an immediate shift, allowing former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra to advance in a new poll, gaining 10 percent of likely voters, while fellow Democrat and billionaire Tom Steyer was the frontrunner among Democrats with 14 percent of likely voters.

According to a May 30 Emerson College Poll, Becerra polls at 28%, Steyer is at 22%, and Hilton is at 21%. The question now seems to be whether the runoff will be between two Democrats - Becerra more centrist, Steyer to his left - or between a Democrat and Republican.

Chad Bianco comes in at a distant 12%, followed by former OC Congresswoman Katie Porter at 5%, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at 5%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at 2%, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond at one percent.

U.S. House Races

In the ongoing gerrymander battle, California has been the biggest prize for House Democrats, who think they can pick up between three and five seats from state Republicans.

Here’s a brief breakdown of candidates in each of the state’s most competitive congressional districts:

District 1, the longtime Chico seat held by the late LaMalfa, is widely expected to swing Democratic after Prop. 50 shifted the district westward and southward to include coastal Northern California and parts of Sonoma County. According to the Cook Partisan Voter Index, the district went from being 12 percent more Republican than the national average to 7 percent more Democratic than the national average.

Voters in the changing district will have a confusing election day. That’s because on June 2, they’ll be voting in a special election in the current right-leaning District 1 for someone to finish out LaMalfa’s term, which expires Jan. 3. At the same time, voters in the new left-leaning District 1 will vote in the primary with the top two vote-getters heading to the Nov. 3 general election.

Candidates in the primary election include Democrats Audrey Denney, Janice Karrman, State Senator Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, and Republican State Assemblyman James Gallagher. No Party Preference candidates include Timothy Sean Kelly and Richard T. Minner.

District 6 in the suburbs of Sacramento is one in which incumbents are playing musical chairs thanks to Prop. 50. Democratic incumbent Rep. Ami Bera is now running in the new District 3, and District 3 Republican incumbent Rep. Kevin Kiley is running in District 6 as an Independent who will caucus with the Republicans. The party change would seem to give him a fighting chance in a new District 6 that leans Democratic.

“While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense,” Kiley wrote on social media.

Closely aligned with Trump, Kiley is running against a large field of Democratic contenders, including Lauren Babb Tomlinson, Martha Guerrero, Thien Ho, Richard Pan, and Tyler Vandenberg. Republican Michael Stansfield is also on the ballot.

District 22 was always going to be a challenge for incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao, who won his Central Valley seat in a Democratic-leaning district in 2024. After Prop. 50, it’s even more Democratic leaning, with additional communities in Fresno and Madera counties.

The change in the district’s voter registration comes on top of Valadao’s party-line vote last year for Trump’s megabill that slashed taxes for wealthy Americans and cut $1 trillion in Medicaid funding over the next 10 years.

According to CalMatters, “Valadao’s district has the highest Medicaid enrollment rate of any Republican seat in the country.”

His Democratic opponents, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas, have hammered him on the issue.

District 40 is Southern California’s ruthlessly gerrymandered new district that pits Rep. Ken Calvert of Riverside County against Rep. Young Kim of Orange County, both Republicans.

According to Ballotpedia, the district is 10 percent more Republican than it used to be, with Calvert currently representing 51 percent of the new district and Kim 35 percent. Calvert is a Trump ally who has been in office for more than 30 years. Kim was elected to Congress in 2020, when she won in a more competitive district in purple Orange County.

In all, eight candidates are running in the district, including Democrats Francis Xavier Hoffman, Claude M. Keissieh, Joe Kerr, Esther Kim-Varet, Lisa Ramirez, and No Party Preference candidate Nina Linh.

District 48 doesn’t have an incumbent candidate after longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa decided to retire after his current term ends, rather than run for reelection in a district that now leans Democratic.

The new district covers parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, including Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Poway, Temecula, and Palm Springs.

In his announcement, Issa endorsed 48th Congressional District candidate Jim Desmond, a Republican who currently sits on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

"Jim is not only a personal friend, he’s a true patriot, a Navy veteran, a successful businessman, and has a 20-year record of public service," Issa said. "He understands this community, was born and raised here, and will make a terrific Congressman."

Desmond will have a fight on his hands in a district that went for Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump. He'll face 11 contenders, including Democrats Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Navy Reservist, and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, as well as Abel Chavez, Stephen Clemons, Corinna Contreras, Ferguson Porter, Brandon Riker, Mike Schaefer, and Eric Shaw. Republican Kevin Patrick O'Neil and No Party Preference candidate Luis F. Reyna are also in the race.

How To Vote

• Ballot drop-off boxes are accepting ballots until 8 p.m. Election Day.
• Unregistered voters must complete same-day registration to vote in person at polling locations or county election offices.
• Early voting began May 23 and continues through Election Day.
• Mail-in ballot: Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day. Those unsure if their ballot will make it in the mail in time can also bring their ballots to any polling location in the state or a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Approved drop box locations can be found here for Contra Costa County.
• Traditional in-person voting: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2. Click here to find your polling location.