Attorney General of California
Michael Gates
Former Huntington Beach city attorney; former U.S. Justice Department deputy assistant attorney general (2025)R
- Race
- Attorney General of California
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponent
- Rob Bonta (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did1 statement · 0 votes
enforce laws that keep boys out of girls' sports
Bar transgender women and girls from women's and girls' school sports
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotAttorney General
2026-11-03
| Rob Bonta D | incumbent |
| Michael Gates R | challenger |
Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary.
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
enforce laws that keep boys out of girls' sports
His candidate statement says he would enforce laws that keep boys out of girls' sports.[3]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Michael Gates is the Republican nominee, a former Huntington Beach city attorney who served in 2025 as a deputy assistant U.S. attorney general. He says the Attorney General's office should prioritize crime and law enforcement rather than lawsuits against the Trump administration.[1][2]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Gates was City Attorney for Huntington Beach, where he says he created a city criminal prosecutor program.[2] In 2025 he served as a deputy assistant U.S. attorney general at the Justice Department, and he launched his campaign in January 2026.[1]
According to his candidate statement, he is a husband and father of five.[2]
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- legalAs Huntington Beach city attorney, authored or helped form the city's challenges to state-mandated home-building requirements and the state sanctuary law, and the city's effort to institute a voter ID requirement.[4]
In their own words
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/michael-gates
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Bonta's battles with Trump define California attorney general race as GOP challenger tries to break through · Napa Valley Register (Orange County Register/TNS) News report
- 2.Attorney General Candidate Statements, June 2, 2026 Primary · California Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide Candidate's own words
- 3.Attorney General Candidate Statements, June 2, 2026 Primary · California Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide Candidate's own words
- 4.Bonta's battles with Trump define California attorney general race as GOP challenger tries to break through · Napa Valley Register (Orange County Register/TNS) News report