California Governor Candidates Court Gen Z Voters Ahead of June Primary
Why It Matters
California’s June 2 gubernatorial primary is approaching with a familiar challenge: young voters are expected to sit out in large numbers despite representing a substantial share of the electorate. Generation Z — Californians between the ages of 14 and 29 — makes up nearly 21% of eligible voters in the state, yet their historical turnout in primary elections has consistently lagged behind the broader voting population.
The June primary will narrow the field for the November general election, which will also include other executive races and high-profile ballot measures such as a proposed billionaire’s tax.
What Happened
Several candidates in the crowded California governor’s race have made targeted efforts to engage young voters, primarily through social media outreach and visits to college campuses, though others have largely ignored the effort.
Democratic candidate Antonio Villaraigosa said he assembled a campaign staff composed primarily of people aged 22 to 26 to help connect with younger voters. Katie Porter and Tom Steyer have both made college campus visits a part of their campaign strategies. Xavier Becerra has taken a particularly organized approach, visiting more than 30 chapters of Young Democrats organizations across the state since July 2025, according to the president of California Young Democrats. The group endorsed Becerra, as did the California College Democrats in March.
“He’s made a really big effort to put college students at the front of his campaign,” said Daniel Guerrero, president of the California College Democrats and an incoming senior at UC San Diego.
Both Becerra and Steyer have also used short-form video content and partnerships with social media creators to reach younger audiences — though both campaigns have been drawn into controversy over paid influencer posts that allegedly lacked required disclosure language identifying them as sponsored content.
Teams representing Steve Hilton, Chad Bianco, Tony Thurmond, and Matt Mahan did not respond to requests for comment on their youth outreach strategies.
By the Numbers
- 21% — Gen Z’s share of California’s eligible voter population
- 47% of young voters unlikely to cast a ballot cited being insufficiently informed on issues and candidates, versus 38% of all unlikely voters
- 31% of young unlikely voters cited being too busy, compared to 19% of all unlikely voters
- 30 — number of Young Democrats chapters Becerra has visited since July 2025
- 20 — attendance at a student civic engagement club’s gubernatorial-race discussion at De Anza College in Cupertino, described as the club’s best-attended meeting this year
Zoom Out
Low youth turnout in primary elections is not unique to California — it is a persistent national pattern. Young voters tend to engage at higher rates in presidential general elections and pull back significantly in off-cycle and primary contests. Nationally, cost of living, healthcare, housing, jobs, and immigration rank as the top issues for Gen Z voters heading into the 2026 midterms, according to survey data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
Disillusionment, rather than disengagement, appears to be a significant factor. Rinu Nair, president of the History and Civic Engagement Club at De Anza College, described students as interested but skeptical. “There’s an interest, but also that feeling of, ‘Am I doing what I want to do? Can my vote even make a change?'” Nair said.
A May survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that young voters who said they were unlikely to participate in the primary were more likely than the overall population to cite feeling uninformed and too busy — suggesting outreach and information access remain key barriers.
What’s Next
California’s primary election is scheduled for June 2. The top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election, where the governor’s race will be decided alongside a broader slate of statewide contests and ballot propositions. Candidates have a narrow window remaining to convert youth interest into actual primary turnout before polls close.