Public Policy Institute of California
5%4%3%2%1%0%
California Governor winner?
$46.3M
NOV 4, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleBusinessman
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
GenderMale
LocationCalifornia
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BackgroundBusinessman
Notable personal detailsLeo Samuel Zacky is a Republican candidate for Governor of California in 2026. He is a fourth-generation Californian from Los Angeles and is associated with the Zacky Farms family poultry business, where he has described serving as a vice president and later working as an entrepreneur. He previously ran for California governor in 2022 and appeared as a candidate in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election.
SourcesShowHide
elections.cdn.sos.ca.govleozacky.comen.wikipedia.orgsacbee.comtransparencyusa.orgpastelections.marincounty.govfoxbusiness.comelectionline.orgaxios.comes.wikipedia.orgkqed.orglatimes.comballotopedia.orgstanfordvotes.orgcalmatters.orgslocounty.ca.govgov.ca.govvigarchive.sos.ca.govivoterguide.comagnetwest.comyournews.comfoxla.comaccessnewswire.comthenewfounders.uskeyt.comscribd.comopencampaign.compinionnewswire.comsignalhire.comballotready.orgcbsnews.comlinkedin.comdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgcl.linkedin.comvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgau.linkedin.comcdn.ballotpedia.orgbusiness.linkedin.comjustfacts.votesmart.orgnga.orgncsl.orghistory.house.govcongress.govbudzinski.house.govdurbin.senate.govgovinfo.govfec.govvotesmart.org
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
The candidate supports cutting taxes and reducing regulatory/bureaucratic burdens on businesses, and emphasizes making California more pro-business while pursuing a balanced budget. His materials prioritize tax relief, dismantling bureaucratic power, and policies to lower costs for working families and businesses.
Healthcare
Supports medical freedom by banning vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and mask requirements and emphasizes protecting individual medical choice. Positions focus on opposing COVID-era public-health mandates rather than proposing major government expansions of healthcare coverage.
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Immigration & Border
Supports aggressive border security and enforcement measures, including finishing the wall, deploying the National Guard, ending sanctuary policies, and backing federal efforts to secure the border.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports permitting abortion up to about the midpoint of the second trimester with exceptions for emergencies that threaten the mother’s life, and opposes public funding for abortion providers.
Climate & Energy
Prioritizes expanding reliable energy and water infrastructure (reservoirs, desalination, hydroelectric capacity, small modular nuclear reactors) to lower costs and support agriculture; emphasizes rolling back what he describes as overregulation and blames forest mismanagement rather than primarily attributing wildfires to climate change. Policy framing favors market-driven, infrastructure-focused solutions and protecting farmland from mandates.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate opposes most gun regulation and pledges to fully defend the Second Amendment, proposing repeal of California’s existing gun laws and vetoing new restrictions. The campaign frames firearm ownership as essential for self-defense and vows to restore broad gun rights in the state.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedMar 14, 2026
Leo Zacky is in the news as part of a crowded Democratic field in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, where party chair Rusty Hicks urged lower-polling candidates to reconsider staying in. That push to shrink the field appears to have failed, with most candidates remaining in the race as the filing deadline nears. Democrats are warning the vote could be split under California’s top-two primary system, potentially allowing two Republicans to advance.
elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov+47
Articles
UNU.S. News & World Report3 months ago
Top California Democrat Flops With Call for Candidates to Exit Governor's Race
Neutral
WWTOP3 months ago
Fearing GOP upset, top California Democrat urges lagging candidates for governor to drop out of race
Neutral
WWTOP3 months ago
Top California Democrat flops with call for candidates to exit governor’s race
Neutral
NYNew York Post4 months ago
Kevin McCarthy blasts Gavin Newsom, says California is on a 'downward slope' from gov's leadership
Neutral
Polls
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Endorsements
- Fundraising