CaliforniaPeople.org

Statewide office

Attorney General

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The job
The state's top lawyer. Runs the state Department of Justice, defends state laws, sues on the state's behalf, enforces consumer, environmental, civil rights and antitrust law, oversees local prosecutors and sheriffs, and reviews officer-involved shootings of unarmed people.
Your pick

Rob Bonta (D) — incumbent, "California Attorney General"

Key findings

  • Filed his 100th lawsuit against the Trump administration in under two years. He claims an 80% success rate and $188B protected, both his office's own figures. First-year litigation cost: $19M. [1][2]
  • Police shootings: 41 fatal-shooting cases closed with zero officers prosecuted, an average of ~2 years 5 months per case, and none finished within his own 1-year target. The office got about half the funding it asked for. [3]
  • Spent $468K in campaign funds on lawyers for the federal probe that led to the Oakland mayor's indictment. He says he isn't a target. [4]
  • As a legislator, wrote the private-prison ban (AB 32), which a federal appeals court later cut back. [5][6]

Track record (sourced)

  • Assembly: authored AB 32 (2019), banning private prisons and private immigrant detention in California. A Ninth Circuit panel ruled against the ban in Oct 2021, so its reach was cut back. [5][6]
  • As AG, first term focused on enforcing housing laws against cities that resist building and on criminal-justice laws. [7]
  • Second Trump term: filed his 100th lawsuit against the administration in under two years (Oct 2026); 82 suits plus 120 amicus briefs in the first 18 months. Cases include birthright citizenship, frozen federal funds, National Guard deployments in LA, mail voting and Planned Parenthood. He claims the suits protected $200B+ in federal funding; that figure is his own and not independently verified. [2][8]
  • His office sued Huntington Beach over its housing plan and voter ID rule; courts sided with the state. [9]
Résumé
  • Alameda city council; State Assembly 2012–2021 (East Bay); appointed AG in 2021, elected 2022. [7]
Concerns (sourced)
  • Paid more than $468,000 in campaign funds to the law firm Wilson Sonsini to respond to the federal investigation that led to former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's indictment. He says he was told he was not a target and is not accused of wrongdoing. He returned $155,100 in donations from the Duong family (California Waste Solutions), who were indicted. [4]
  • Endorsements: CA Democratic Party, California Teachers Association, California Environmental Voters. [7]

Michael E. Gates (R) — "Deputy United States Attorney"

Key findings

  • About 10 years as Huntington Beach city attorney. He lost the marquee cases he brought against the state: housing plan, voter ID and sanctuary law. [9]
  • The city attorney's budget grew from $2.5M to over $4.3M during those fights. [9]
  • Spent part of 2025 at the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, then returned to Huntington Beach. [3]
  • Has never run an office anywhere near the state DOJ's size.

Job-applicant read

Gates has litigated high-profile cases against the state, but his marquee cases have mostly been lost, which is the most direct evidence of how he'd do the job. Bonta has a long record in the role and many wins against the federal government, with a campaign-money episode worth weighing.

Track record (sourced)

  • Led Huntington Beach's lawsuits asserting its charter city status exempts it from state laws:
    • Housing/zoning (from March 2023): the California Supreme Court declined to hear the city's argument; a judge ordered the city to adopt a compliant housing plan, and until then it must approve most developer projects. Lost.
    • Voter ID: a court found the city's voter-approved ID rules violated state law; city appealing. Lost at trial-court stage after an initial win in 2024 when the state's first suit was dismissed.
    • Sanctuary laws: dismissed Dec 2025 (cities lack standing in federal court). Lost. [9]
  • The city attorney's budget rose from $2.5M (2021-22) to over $4.3M; total legal fees in these cases are unclear. [9]
  • Campaign: tougher criminal-justice enforcement, opposes state housing mandates on cities. [3]
  • Endorsements: CA Republican Party, California Parents Union, California Rifle & Pistol Association. [3]
Résumé
  • Trial attorney; Huntington Beach City Attorney for about a decade; in 2025 appointed deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division, then left in November 2025 to return to Huntington Beach. [3][9]

Sources 9

1 official3 reporting5 other
  1. ^ Local News Matters, lawsuit tally (Jan 20, 2026) localnewsmatters.org Other
  2. ^ a b Santa Barbara Independent (Oct 18, 2026) independent.com Other
  3. ^ a b c d e CalMatters on police-shooting investigations (June 10, 2026) CalMatters Reporting
  4. ^ a b KQED (Nov 20, 2025) KQED Reporting
  5. ^ a b IJPR on AB 32 ijpr.org Other
  6. ^ a b CA DOJ on AB 32 ruling oag.ca.gov Official
  7. ^ a b c CalMatters AG guide CalMatters Reporting
  8. ^ Sacramento Bee via TNS thebrunswicknews.com Other
  9. ^ a b c d e f Voice of OC (Dec 2025) voiceofoc.org Other