Trump & federal-state conflict
How candidates position relative to the Trump administration, including litigation, federal overreach, and protection of California laws/values.
Mentions, position unclear (9)
Al Muratsuchi (No Party Preference) — Superintendent of Public Instruction
…ponders have the tools and support they need to protect our community. Healthy Environment Al Muratsuchi will stand up to powerful special interests to keep our air, drinking water, and beaches free of pollution. He foug…
Anthony Rendon (No Party Preference) — Superintendent of Public Instruction
…by 50 percent, then enacted the nations strongest education oversight laws, and successfully stood up to the Trump Administration to protect our schools and civil rights. Today, schools need not only more investment but…
Antonio Villaraigosa (Democratic) — Governor
…a different result. Instead, we need to fix what’s broken, find new solutions, and only invest in what works. Stand up to Donald Trump Antonio Villaraigosa has never been afraid to stand up to bullies, and that includes…
Eleni Kounalakis (Democratic) — Treasurer
…ornia is a global leader in the effort to fight climate change. I’ll fight to protect our coasts and stop the Trump administration from expanding offshore oil drilling. What areas of public policy are you personally pass…
Jane Kim (Democratic) — Insurance Commissioner
…rests. The role of Insurance Commissioner requires policy expertise, political leadership, and the courage to stand up to powerful industries. I have a proven track record of all three. I will bring together stakeholders…
Katie Porter (Democratic) — Governor
…vered billions in relief. In Congress, I earned a reputation for getting answers for the American people from Trump officials and corporate executives. In March 2020, I secured free COVID testing for every American throu…
Tom Steyer (Democratic) — Governor
…reform zoning, and enforce laws to build faster. I will slash impact fees and transfer taxes by closing the “ Trump Tax Loophole .” Make Building Innovative I’ll invest in industrialized construction like prefab and modu…
Tony Thurmond (Democratic) — Governor
…below. [13] What would be your top three priorities, if elected? “ 1. Lead California’s fight against Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos’s anti-education agenda: I will fight to keep public schools public, protect California’…
Xavier Becerra (Democratic) — Governor
…ht, defend, and build, and together, we can move California, not backwards, with health care. FIGHTING DONALD TRUMP In the past year, Trump and his administration have terrorized our communities, attacked our values, and…
Methodology
Candidates’ published 2026 campaign-themes text on Ballotpedia is searched for the phrases below. When a match is found, a ~220-character snippet is extracted and scanned for support- or opposition-signal phrases. Classification is intentionally conservative — the snippet is the source of truth.
Match phrases: trump, federal overreach, sue, lawsuit, defend california, stand up to, stand up against
Support signals: sue trump, stand up to trump, fight trump, defend against trump, resist trump, block trump
Opposition signals: work with trump, support trump, back trump, embrace trump