California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is running for governor. The Democrat announced her candidacy on Monday for the 2026 election. She's hoping to become the first woman elected governor in state history. Kounalakis is a former president of a real estate development company and served as ambassador to Hungary under President Barack Obama. It's somewhat rare for major candidates to announce their candidacies so early. But it gives Kounalakis a head start on raising the massive amount of cash it takes to run an effective statewide campaign in the nation's most populous state. Gov. Gavin Newsom is only four months into his second four-year term as governor.