# Attorney General URL: https://www.californiapeople.org/candidates/attorney-general - office: Attorney General - what_the_job_is: 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. - candidates: [Rob Bonta (D, incumbent), Michael E. Gates (R)] # Attorney General: what to look for A record of litigating big cases, winning them, and running a large legal office with integrity. ## 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] ### Résumé - Alameda city council (vice mayor) 2010–2012; State Assembly 2012–2021 (East Bay); appointed AG by Gov. Newsom in 2021, elected 2022. [^7][^8] ### Track record (sourced) - Assembly: authored AB 32 (2019), banning private prisons and private immigrant detention in California. A 2-1 Ninth Circuit panel ruled against the state in a challenge to the ban in fall 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. [^8] - 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][^9] - His office sued Huntington Beach over its housing plan and voter ID rule; courts sided with the state. [^10] ### 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. [^8] ## 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. [^10] - The city attorney's budget grew from **$2.5M to over $4.3M** during those fights. [^10] - Spent part of 2025 at the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, then returned to Huntington Beach. [^3] - His management experience is a city attorney's office with a budget of about $4.3M. [^10] ### 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][^10] ### 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 state appeals court found the city's voter-approved ID rules violated state law; the city is appealing. Lost. - Sanctuary laws: dismissed Dec 2025 (cities lack standing in federal court). Lost. [^10] - The city attorney's budget rose from $2.5M (2021-22) to over $4.3M; total legal fees in these cases are unclear. [^10] - As city attorney, challenged what he saw as lenient criminal-justice policy and fought parts of the state's housing laws. [^3] - Endorsements: CA Republican Party, California Parents Union, California Rifle & Pistol Association. [^3] ### 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. ## Sources [^1]: Local News Matters, lawsuit tally (Jan 20, 2026). https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/01/21/bonta-california-lawsuits-trump-second-term/ [^2]: Santa Barbara Independent (Oct 18, 2026). https://www.independent.com/2026/10/18/a-sobering-milestone-attorney-general-bonta-files-100th-lawsuit-against-the-trump-administration-in-under-two-years/ [^3]: CalMatters on police-shooting investigations (June 10, 2026). https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/06/police-shootings-attorney-general/ [^4]: KQED (Nov 20, 2025). https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions [^5]: IJPR on AB 32. https://www.ijpr.org/immigration/2021-11-18/california-tries-again-to-close-down-privately-operated-prisons-and-immigrant-detention-facilities [^6]: CA DOJ on AB 32 ruling. https://www.oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-issues-statement-ninth-circuit-decision-california%E2%80%99s-ban [^7]: Wikipedia, Rob Bonta (secondary). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bonta [^8]: CalMatters AG guide. https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/attorney-general/ [^9]: Sacramento Bee via TNS. https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/bonta-says-california-s-lawsuits-against-trump-protected-200-billion-in-funding-what-did-they/article_1408d2a6-a9c2-59c0-a721-b962bad32b6a.html [^10]: Voice of OC (Dec 2025). https://voiceofoc.org/2025/12/huntington-beach-continues-to-lose-lawsuits-arguing-charter-city-rights/