Rob Bonta reelected California attorney general, NBC News projects

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has won reelection against Republican challenger Michael Gates, NBC News projected Tuesday.

Among 42% of the expected ballots counted, Bonta earned 63.5% of the votes compared with Gates’ 36.5% to secure a second term as California attorney general, according to NBC News.

Bonta, who was appointed in 2021 when then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra joined the Biden administration as secretary of Health and Human Services, was elected in 2022 to serve a full term.

Bonta, who made history as the first Filipino American to become the state’s attorney general, has been aggressively pushing back against President Trump, especially since his second administration began in 2025. Since Jan. 20, 2025, Bonta’s office has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, including one in which California and other blue states blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to put conditions on federal grant programs.

Gates, a former Huntington Beach city attorney and ex-lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, had an uphill battle against Bonta in the deep-blue state, which hasn’t had a Republican attorney general since the late 1990s.

See results from other key California races

Congresswoman Maxine Waters wins reelection to California’s 43rd Congressional District, likely defeating her relatively unknown Republican challenger by a large margin, NBC News projected Tuesday.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber also won her reelection, according to the NBC News projection.

Outgoing California Treasurer Fiona Ma will become the state’s next lieutenant governor, NBC News projected.

Outgoing Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is set to become the state’s next treasurer, NBC News projected.

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