Cal NORML Voter Guide to Cannabis Candidates
May/June 2026 Primary Election
Got input on candidates or races? Write here.
Artwork: Ruth Anne
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Governor
The only terrible candidate on cannabis among the frontrunners in the nonpartisan primary for California’s governor is Chad Bianco. Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter have expressed support for cannabis reform and their actions have been good, as have those of Antonio Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond. Not much is known about the views of Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, or Matt Mahan, but we are continuing to reach out to key campaigns.
Xavier Becerra – In 2016, as California’s Attorney General, Becerra told Politico he would be defending California’s new law legalizing marijuana against possible federal interference, and admitted he tried weed “at a younger time.” Asked if it was illegal then, he compared it to driving over the speed limit. “Cannabis is last century’s argument. We’re beyond that,” he said. He continued the CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program (as have all AGs) and in 2020, he joined 34 other AGs to urge Congress to provide banking services for licensed cannabis businesses. In 2013, as US Secretary of Health and Human Services, oversaw the agency’s recommendation that cannabis should be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, something that’s back in the news. Becerra has a longer record of public service in both state and federal government than all the other candidates. He compiled a consistently good voting record over 24 years as a Congressman from L.A.
Chad Bianco – Riverside sheriff Bianco is a crusty, old-style, right-wing Republican who takes a tough line on drug issues. A former narcotics officer, he is the only candidate on record as opposing legal marijuana, and he thinks legalization has exacerbated the problem of illegal grows. (Cannabis growers can’t be licensed in most of his district; a horrible homicide in Riverside left seven dead at an illicit farm in 2020.) Last year, commenting on news that that California’s Department of Cannabis Control lost a lawsuit alleging they failed to stop illegal operations, Bianco commented, “Another failed agency from a failed State agenda….Legal marijuana was doomed from the start. It was a scam to begin with but once passed it was going to actually take work to make it successful.” Reportedly Bianco said that all marijuana is laced with fentanyl at a campaign event. He seized voting records in Riverside in a MAGA-inspired goose-chase for voter fraud, before the courts stopped him.
Steve Hilton – Former Fox News host Hilton is the other Republican front-runner in the race and the one that Trump endorsed. Like Bianco, he is critical of California’s Democratic supermajority. Unlike Bianco, his views on cannabis legalization are unknown. Given the Trump administration’s bold rescheduling order, timed just before the midterms, it’s not impossible that they are favorable. One of his CalDOGE investigations concluded the $370 million in cannabis taxes earmarked yearly for youth drug prevention is largely misspent, including funding Democratic-leaning organizations. (The same organizations lobbied forcefully to raise the cannabis excise tax last year in order to keep their funding.)
Matt Mahan – The moderate Democrat in the race, Mahan is the popular mayor of San Jose who has made strides against homelessness in the city. He was typically supportive of local dispensaries, except for one zoning vote. Mahan styles himself as a social liberal, but is mostly interested in economic issues. Local activists give him a thumbs up.
Katie Porter – Porter takes pride in being the only candidate who never accepts corporate donations. She is particularly interested in economic issues, but has consistently voted well on marijuana bills. She has co-sponsored the SAFE Banking Act and the MORE Act to legalize at the federal level, with equity and human rights components. She voted well on other bills, and declared support for legal marijuana in response to a questionnaire from Cal NORML in a past race.
Tom Steyer – A self-styled progressive, hedge fund billionaire Steyer has bombarded the air with over $100 million in commercials, spending multiple times more on his campaign than all other candidates combined. Steyer is an outspoken champion of environment and climate legislation, but has made no campaign pronouncements on cannabis (but now that rescheduling has happened perhaps a reporter will actually ask candidates about it). In 2020, while running for President, Steyer was overheard supporting legalization, saying “I’m from California, are you kidding me?” He also vocally advocates “restorative justice.” At a debate on KRON TV in which Bianco and Hilton blamed homeless on drug addiction, Steyer advanced his plan to provide emergency shelter without requiring residents be “clean” (from drugs). Like all candidates, however, he endorses mandatory treatment for delinquent addicts.
Tony Thurmond – State Education Superintendent and solid progressive, Thurmond posted a good voting record in the Assembly, where as chair of the Labor Committee he supported a Cal NORML-sponsored bill for employees’ right to use marijuana off the job.
Antonio Villaraigosa – Former LA Mayor and Assemblyman, labor leader and ACLU president who styles himself as a problem solver and has admitted to using marijuana. As mayor, Villaraigosa presided silently over the introduction of medical marijuana clubs into the city (no one had dared open one during the administration of his Republican predecessor).
Also running: The ballot is cluttered with another 53(!) candidates for governor.
Lieutenant Governor – ENDORSE FIONA MA
As state treasurer, Ma has been a longtime supporter of cannabis and of lowering taxes on cannabis. She responded to Cal NORML/CCIA’s 2026 Candidate Survey, saying she would support addressing “cannabis deserts” with no licensed businesses, streamlining state/local permitting and regulations, and encouraging cannabis tourism in our state. She also supports intensifying enforcement against the illicit market, and measuring enforcement effectiveness in terms of market growth/stability/outcomes. And she’s for providing MediCal and worker’s comp coverage for medicinal cannabis, and funding state-sponsored research into the safety and efficacy of cannabis products.
Ma wrote, “We need to overturn Prop 64. It’s a complete failure,” something she was interviewed about in High Times. She testified before Congress in favor of banking for cannabis businesses. She also offered a response to rescheduling, saying, “I welcome the long-overdue decision to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a step that will provide meaningful relief by ending the unjust application of IRS Code Section 280E and beginning to dismantle barriers that have shut legitimate businesses out of the financial system. But let us be clear: reclassification alone is not enough.”
Attorney General – ENDORSE ROB BONTA
Bonta sponsored bills to regulate medical cannabis, lower taxes on cannabis, and protect employment rights of cannabis users while in the Legislature. As AG he helped expedite the clearing of criminal records for past cannabis offenses. He has also successfully defended California law against federal interference in multiple court cases.
CONGRESS
Here are some of the frontrunners in key new Congressional districts (all are up for election). Many are in crowded fields in these top-two primaries.
Don’t know your district? Look it up.
Find office holders’ NORML ratings.
Got input on candidates or races? Write here.
CD1
Mike McGuire (A rating at NORML) has a strong voting record and authored one of the three bills that regulated medical marijuana in California in 2015. He favors adult-use legalization, but opposed Prop. 64 until such time as regulation of medical cannabis could be solidified. He strongly supports local regulation and was a key opponent of outlawing local delivery bans.
James Gallagher (D- rating) has a bad voting record in the state legislature, slightly improved in 2024 with yes votes on ending double cannabis taxation at local level, and allowing small farmers to sell directly to consumers.
CD6
Martha Guerrero – West Sacramento Mayor has local activist support; she voted in favor of cannabis licensing
Thien Ho – Sacramento’s district attorney
Lauren Babb Tomlinson – Planned Parenthood executive
Dr. Richard Pan – Along with other Democrats, Sen. Pan voted against a 2012 bill to reduce charges in marijuana cultivation cases, after strong police opposition. As chair of the Senate Health committee in 2018, he voted for a bill to redirect cannabis tax funds for youth programs despite the Dept. of Health Care Services writing an opposition letter saying it would require them to exercise preferential treatment. In 2022, he authored a bill to require costly, badly designed new label warnings on all cannabis products.
Kevin Kiley (D+ NORML rating) voted wrong on nearly every key vote in the Assembly, although he did vote for cannabis compassion programs, automatic resentencing, and a resolution to ask the DOJ to allow cannabis businesses.
CD11
Sen. Scott Wiener (A+ NORML rating) has been a champion for cannabis in the state legislature, sponsoring SB 34 to allow for tax-free compassion programs for patients, and SB 1186, requiring local governments to permit medical cannabis sales or delivery. Wiener also championed a psychedelics decrim bill that was vetoed by Gov. Newsom. Wiener has the strongest record of cannabis reform advocacy of any candidate in the race.
SF Sup. Connie Chan has posted a “dismal” voting record on the Board of Supervisors according to local cannabis advocates, despite running as a progressive with Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement. Chen was one of only three supes to vote against delaying a special cannabis gross receipts tax, and has repeatedly refused to meet with representatives of the Brownie Mary Democrats.
Other candidates include progressive software multi-millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti, a former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who like Steyer is running from the left on a social democratic platform funded by himself; and multi-generation San Francisco attorney Marie Hurabiell, who styles herself as a “common-sense Democrat” and helped lead the recall campaign against former D.A. Chesa Boudin.
CD14
Victor Aguilar, Jr. is a Brownie Mary Club Member and San Leandro councilmember
Sen. Aisha Wahab (C NORML rating) – Rather weak voting record for a Democrat. Voted against cannabis cafes and farmers markets, but also against restrictive labeling for cannabis products in 2024.
This is one of many crowded fields.
CD20
Vince Fong (D- NORML rating) posted a terrible voting record on marijuana & drug issues in the CA Assembly, just like his former boss, Kevin McCarthy.
CD22
Randy Villegas – A progressive who’s said to have a fundraising lead. Endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Dolores Huerta, Ro Khanna, Lateefah Simon, others.
Asm. Jasmeet Bains (B- NORML Rating) – Dr. Bains is the medical director of a network of Bakersfield addiction treatment centers. Has voted well, except on cannabis cafe bills, from which she has abstained. Shut down any discussion of relative harms of cannabis and tobacco smoke in committee, scolding us by saying, “Smoking is bad, people” and leaving in a huff.
David G. Valadao (D+ NORML Rating) – As an Assemblymember, Valadao voted against every marijuana reform measure and opposed recreational legalization, but co-sponsored an industrial hemp bill. In Congress, he supported the SAFE banking act and medical marijuana research, but joined other Republicans in opposing the Democrats’ MORE legalization bill. One of just two Republican House members running for re-election who voted to impeach Donald Trump.
CD23
Jay Obernolte (D+) has had a poor voting record in the legislature and Congress. He did vote yes on a state bill (AB2020) to expand places where cannabis events can be held, and was absent for a vote on a resolution to the federal government to allow state-legal cannabis programs (AJR 27). Twice he voted against cannabis compassion programs for needy patients (SB 34).
CD26
Asm. Jacqui Irwin (C-) Mixed voting record. Sponsored failed bills to ban cannabis billboards and impose restrictive labeling requirements on cannabis products; voted against cannabis cafes; skipped votes on employment rights, medical access. To her credit, she did move AB 2555, a bill to extend cannabis compassion programs, through a key committee she chaired in 2024.
Fellow Democrat Chris Espinosa is challenging her.
CD38
Hilda Solis, a former Congresswoman, championed cannabis business licensing “that is rooted in equitable access, strong and effective enforcement, and community awareness and education” as an LA County Supervisor. She has also championed Prop. 47’s implemetation, saying she is is “deeply concerned about rising deaths within our correctional health system, driven in large part by overdoses….Every person in custody deserves timely, adequate, and humane health care, and we must continue working to achieve this goal.”
Monica Sánchez has the endorsement of Linda Sánchez, who is vacating the seat to run in the 41st. She’s either (or both?) Pico Rivera Councilmember / Montebello Mayor Pro Tem.
CD40
Ken Calvert (F NORML Rating) has voted badly on every cannabis bill in Congress.
Young Kim (D+ NORML Rating) had a poor voting record in the state legislature except on more recent regulatory bills, and she opposed Prop. 64. In Congress, she voted against the MORE Act but supported the SAFE Banking Act.
CD41
Linda Sánchez (B+ NORML Rating) Co-sponsored the SAFE Banking Act of 2021, voted well on other bills.
CD48
Daryl Issa’s district.
Jim Desmond (R) San Diego County Supervisor
Marni von Wilpert (D) – San Diego Councilmember
Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) – former Obama official
STATE LEGISLATURE
Find office holders’ NORML ratings.
Got input on candidates or races? Write here.
Senate
State Senate District 4 – Counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne
Marie Alvarado-Gil (R) (B-) Mixed voting record in CA Legislature. Voted for cannabis cafes and against restrictive labeling on cannabis products. Was absent for employment rights vote and voted against farmer’s market bill. Sponsored a bill to forfeit property from illicit cannabis growers; took amends from Cal NORML to target grows of 1,000 plants or more. Switched from a Democrat to a Republican in mid-2024.
Also in the race: County Supervisor Jaron Brandon (D) and Alexandra Duarte (R) mother/farmer
State Senate District 10 – South Bay Area, from Hayward down to Santa Clara north of San Jose.
Aisha Wahab’s district. No Democratic party endorsement in the race.
Scott Sakakihara – Union City councilmember/Navy officer; served in Obama White House. Endorsed by State Senator Jesse Arreguín, Assemblymember Bill Quirk (Ret.), East Bay Young Democrats, unions. Just voted against raising cannabis tax in Union City.
David Cohen is a member of the San Jose City Council
Anne Kepner is a member of the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees; has support of SEIU, Ca Teachers Assn., Cal Labor Federation.
Raymond Liu is a member of the Fremont City Council
State Senate District 12 – Fresno, Clovis, Tulare, parts of Bakersfield
Shannon Grove’s district.
Nathan Magsig (R) is a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors
Louis Miramontes (R)
William Brown Jr. (L)
State Senate District 14 – Central Valley south of Highway 99. Includes Merced, Madera, Chowchilla, Fresno and Mendota.
Esmeralda Soria (A NORML Rating) – Democratic Assemblymember and clear frontrunner
Esmeralda Hurtado – Sanger City Councilmember and sister of poorly voting Sen. Melissa Hurtado, who is running in SD-16
Darin DuPont – Merced city councilmember
State Senate District 16 – Central Valley district that includes portions of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties and much of Bakersfield’s east side
Melissa Hurtado (D NORML Rating) – Worst voting record of any Democrat in State Senate 2021-2, and just as bad in 2023-4. Did vote in favor of parental rights. Guillermo Gonzalez – a field representative for the cannabis unfriendly Rep. David Valadao
Manpreet Kaura – Bakersfield Vice Mayor
State Senate District 24 – Coastal Los Angeles County; Malibu, Santa Monica and Torrance
Ben Allen’s district (running for Insurance commissioner)
Dr. Sion Roy is a physician, professor, and education advocate who is Vice Chair of the Santa Monica College Board. Endorsed by Democratic party.
Brian Goldsmith – Democratic media consultant, has a roster of prominent names behind him and has out fundraised the others
John Erickson – West Hollywood City Councilmember
Eric Alegria is a member of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District school board
Zennon Ulyate-Crow was shot in the face with a rubber bullet while peacefully protesting ICE. Gen Z.
State Senate District 26 – Downtown Los Angeles
Maria Elena Durazo’s District (running for LA County supervisor). No Democratic Party endorsement in the race.
Wendy Carrillo was a communications manager for SEIU ULTCW (United Long Term Care Workers) and a communications and social media deputy for the City of Los Angeles
Sara Hernandez is a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees
others…
State Senate District 38 – Coastal north of San Diego, including Mission Viejos, Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Jolla
Catherine Blakespear (A NORML Rating) – Democratic State Senator who flipped the district and faces her first re-election
Laura Bassett (R) – a small businesswoman.
State Senate District 40 – Inland San Diego County, north and east of city of San Diego (includes Escondido)
Brian Jones’s district
Mara Elliott (D) was the San Diego City Attorney
Kristie Bruce-Lane (R) – twice unsuccessful Assembly candidate endorsed by cannabis-unfriendly Asm. Carl DeMaio
Ed Musgrove (R) – San Marcos city councilmember
Assembly
State Assembly District 3
Gallagher’s district
3 Republicans running
State Assembly District 12 (Petaluma)
Damon Connolly’s district (running for state Senate)
Jackie Elward is a labor organizer and the first Black woman elected to the Rohnert Park City Council. Born in the Congo. Endorsed by: Congressmember Mike Thompson, Former Congressmember Lynn Woolsey, State Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Former State Senator Steven Bradford, State Treasurer Fiona Ma
Eli Beckman – Corte Madera Mayor
Eric Lucan – Marin County Supervisor
Steve Schwartz – nonprofit executive
Holli Thier – Tiburon Councilmember
Eryn Cervantes (R) – a corrections official who also ran in 2024
State Assembly District 27 (Fresno)
Esmeralda Soria’s district (running for state Senate)
Brian Pacheco (D) – Fresno city councilmember, has support of leading Democrats, including Soria.
Mike Murphy (R) – attorney and former Merced mayor
Japjeet Singh Uppal (D) – Livingston Councilmember
State Assembly District 34 (Barstow)
Tom Lackey’s district; he’s termed out
Randall Putz (D) – Former school board member, city councilmember, and three-time Mayor of Big Bear Lake. Endorsed by California Democratic Party, California Teachers Association, California Young Democrats, Communication Workers of America, and San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Senator Tom Umberg, Assemblymembers Josh Lowenthal, Juan Carrillo, John Harabedian, Nick Schultz, James Ramos, Robert Garcia, Corey Jackson, and Congresswoman Norma Torres.
3 Republicans are also in the race.
State Assembly District 35 (Bakersfield)
Jasmeet Bains’s district (running for Congress)
Andrae Gonzales (D) – Bakersfield councilmember
Ana Palacio (D) – ER nurse
Saul Ayon (R) – mayor of McFarland
State Assembly District 36 (Coachella)
Jeff Gonzalez (R) – incumbent; voted for cannabis tax reform in his first term. A retired Marine, pastor and business owner.
Oscar Ortiz (D) – Indio Councilmember
Tomas Oliva (D) – former El Centro councilmember
Marlon Ware (D) – college professor
Ida Obeso-Martinez (D) – Imperial Councilmember
State Assembly District 42 (Thousand Oaks)
Jacqui Irwin’s district (running for Congress)
Deborah Klein Lopez (D)
Ted Nordblum (R)
Rocky Rhodes (R)
State Assembly District 47 (Palm Springs)
Greg Wallis (D) – (A NORML rating)
Leila Namvar (D) – former local labor leader and city planner; has labor support
Jason Byors (D) – computer programmer
State Assembly District 58 (Corona)
Leticia Castillo (R) – the incumbent; voted for a hemp bill and didn’t vote on the cannabis tax reform bill
Clarissa Cervantes (D) – Riverside councilmember who narrowly lost to Castillo in 2024.
Democrat and real estate agent (D) – real estate agent
State Assembly District 65 (Compton)
Mike Gipson’s district; terming out
Fatima Iqbal-Zubair (D) – chair of the California progressive caucus
Ayanna Davis (D) – trustee for the Compton Unified School District; backed by the state Democratic Party
Eugene Allen (D) – former candidate for insurance commissioner
Lamar Lyons (D) – president of the San Pedro Central Neighborhood Council
Magali Sanchez-Hall (D) – project manager at UCLA
Lydia A. Gutiérrez (R) – public school teacher
State Assembly District 66 (Torrance)
Muratsuchi’s district
open field
State Assembly District 67 (Fullerton)
Quirk-Silva’s district
open field
State Assembly District 68
Avelino Valencia’s district
Jessie Lopez (D)
David Penaloza (D)
Shannon Wingfield (D)
Mayra Ruiz (R)
State Assembly District 72 (Huntington Beach)
Diane Dixon seat
Chris Kluwe (D) An ex-NFL football player for the Minnesota Vikings, Kluwe is a strong believer in medical cannabis.
Matthew Harper (R)
Gracey Van Der Mark (R)
Frank Wagoner (No party preference)
State Assembly District 74 (Oceanside)
Laurie Davies (D NORML Rating) – has a pretty bad voting record
Sergio Farias (D) – San Juan Capistrano councilmember and former mayor
Local Measures
City of Los Angeles – Measure CB, Apply Marijuana Tax to Unlicensed Marijuana Businesses Measure
A “yes” vote supports applying the city’s tax on cannabis businesses to unlicensed cannabis businesses, amounting to:
10% on cannabis sales; 5% on medical cannabis sales; 2% on manufacturing, cultivation, or other commercialization; and 1% on testing, research, or transportation.
A “no” vote opposes applying the city’s tax on cannabis businesses to unlicensed cannabis businesses.
San Benito County (Unincorporated Area) – Measure D, Marijuana Business Tax Increase Measure
A “yes” vote supports changing the county’s cannabis cultivation tax in unincorporated areas from a per-square-foot rate to a per-acre rate, with the cultivation tax set within a range of $1,000 to $10,000 per acre.
A “no” vote opposes changing the county’s cannabis cultivation tax in unincorporated areas from a per-square-foot rate to a per-acre rate.