California Governor winner? (Person)
$49.2M
NOV 4, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleAttorney
PartyIndependent
Political ideologyConservative Independent
Age40 years old (Sep 26, 1985)
GenderFemale
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LocationCalifornia
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Puget Sound (B.A., 2007)
Notable personal detailsNicole Ann Shanahan is an American attorney, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from California. She founded the Bia-Echo Foundation and has supported work focused on women’s health and reproductive longevity, criminal justice reform, and climate-related initiatives. She was selected as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice-presidential running mate during the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Healthcare
Nicole Shanahan emphasizes health philanthropy and biomedical research (notably reproductive longevity and “food as medicine”), has criticized IVF while funding reproductive-research initiatives, supports abortion rights with gestational limits she has described, and promotes use of AI and unconventional approaches to address chronic disease and public-health concerns rather than endorsing a clear systemic health-care reform such as Medicare for All or major market-based dismantling of existing programs.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports abortion access with legal limits and has said she personally would not feel right terminating a viable pregnancy; has indicated an appropriate federal limit would be in the mid-second trimester (around 15–18 weeks) and supports state-level decision-making.
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Climate & Energy
Supports environmental and regenerative agriculture initiatives through philanthropic work and film production, and has publicly called for transparency and oversight of geoengineering/solar radiation management activities. Positions emphasize research, transparency, and market/technology-based climate interventions rather than explicit advocacy for Green New Deal–style fossil-fuel phaseouts or specific emissions targets.
News
Nicole Shanahan is in the news as one of the candidates in California’s crowded 2026 governor’s race. The field has been shaken by Eric Swalwell’s withdrawal and by concerns that a split Democratic vote could let two Republicans advance under the state’s top-two primary system. Candidates are now heading into debates and the June 2 primary, with party leaders watching closely to see how the race settles.
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Gavin Newsom faces growing pressure to intervene in a scrambled California governor’s race
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262024
2026
LatestCycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements