Elaine Culotti, a California-based political commentator and columnist for The Daily Signal, is running for governor of the Golden State.
“California is broken, but it can be fixed,” Culotti says in her announcement video, which aired on The Adam Carolla Show on Friday.
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is term limited and cannot run for re-election in 2026.
Culotti says, “I am running under ‘NPP’—no party preference. If you have a neutral leader in California, you have a negotiator. You have a person who is listening to both parties, a governor who believes in small government, somebody who is thinking about California and Californians first.”
On the issues, Culotti calls for “integrity in our elections,” opposes a proposed statewide wealth tax in the state, and calls for improved infrastructure.
Culotti is a successful California real estate developer, interior designer, and farm-to-table farmer. She starred in the Discovery+ reality series “Undercover Billionaire.”
She began providing California commentary for The Daily Signal in 2025.
The California gubernatorial primary race is already packed ahead of the June 2 primary.
Democrat contenders include Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, and former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra.
Republican contenders include political pundit Steve Hilton and former Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco.
California has an open primary system, meaning the top two vote-getters in the primary will face off against each other in the Nov. 3 general election, regardless of party affiliation.
