A Rebel Guide to 2026 Primary Elections

Rebel noun and verb: a person who actively resists, defies, or rises up against established authority, control, or societal conventions.

I know quite often people say that the next election is the most important election in our lifetimes, and to be honest the 2024 election was the most important election of our lifetime –– millions of people across the globe are feeling the consequences of that election. However, this upcoming election is a very important one, especially for Californians. 

BWWAP made a limited number of endorsements and recommendations for this primary election, which are below. We know that one of the races that Californians are undecided about is the Gubernatorial race. BWWAP did not make an endorsement or recommendation for this race, as we did not conduct a process for this seat. We have uplifted the voter guides of trusted partners, as their assessments and evaluation criteria are generally aligned, but please note that we did not engage any Gubernatorial candidates in any process, so we did not endorse or recommend a candidate at this time for this primary.

Looking for a different race not listed? Well, don’t worry, we teamed up with our partners at Courage California, who have made recommendations across every county in California. You can find their voter guide here.

KEY DATES TO REMEMBER: 

Primary Election: June 2, 2026

  • Ballots Mailed to Active Registered Voters – May 4, 2026 
  • Ballot Drop-off Locations Open – May 5, 2026     
  • Voter Registration Deadline – May 18, 2026 
  • Vote Centers Open in Voter’s Choice Act counties* – May 23, 2026
  • Election Day – June 2, 2026
  • Vote-by-mail ballots must be received – June 9, 2026
    • Note: Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day
  • Election Certification Deadline (California) – July 2, 2026

* Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) counties were established in 2016 and allows voters who live in participating counties to choose how and where to cast their ballot in-person. At these vote centers, voters are able to: 1.) vote in person; 2.) drop off their ballot; 3.) get a replacement ballot; 4.) vote using an accessible voting machine; 5.) receive assistance and voting material in multiple languages;  and 6.) register to vote or update their voter registration. To check if you are registered in a VCA county and would like more information about the VCA  check out the Secretary of State’s website: https://www.sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-act.  

Recommendations vs Endorsements

Endorsements: BWWAP goes through an intensive process for our endorsements that includes surveys, interviews and votes by the BWWAP board. 

Recommendations: The board has approved the list, but not based on the endorsement process. Recommendations usually include people we have interviewed or worked with before, but didn’t go through our traditional endorsement process this current cycle. 

BWWAP Endorsements

STATEWIDE 

  • Attorney General: Rob Bonta
  • Secretary of State: Shirley Weber

CONGRESS 

Sacramento

  • CA-06: Lauren Babb Tomlinson

Los Angeles

  • CA-37 – Sydney Kamlager-Dove 

STATE ELECTED OFFICE

Senate

  • SD 28: Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

Assembly

Bay Area

  • AD 18: Mia Bonta

Los Angeles

  • AD 55: Isaac Bryan
  • AD 57: Sade Elhawary
  • AD 61: Tina McKinnor
  • AD 65: Pending 

CITY ELECTED OFFICE

  • L.A. City Attorney: Marissa Roy 
  • L.A. Mayor: No Endorsement

About our endorsements: BWWAP looks at both what candidates say and what they do in our voter endorsement process. Every candidate that we endorse has answered a detailed questionnaire, had an interview with BWWAP board members and has been researched by the BWWAP team. We are looking not only if a candidate talks the talk, but also if a candidate walks the walk when it comes to Black women and reproductive justice.

Black Women for Wellness Action Project 

BWWAP’s advocacy work spans a range of issues, reflecting our commitment to Reproductive Justice. Whether we are working to make beauty products safer for women and babies, or advancing environmental protections that impact our neighborhoods where Black women live, or rooting out racial bias in our employment and healthcare sectors, we are consistently advocating for the health and rights of Black women and their families.

Passing good public policy requires political will and committed elected officials. BWWAP endorses candidates, educates and turns-out voters, and holds our leaders accountable for addressing Black women’s health needs.