Rob Bonta will remain California’s top prosecutor after NBC News called the attorney general’s race in his favor. Bonta leads Republican challenger Michael Gates with 63.5 percent of the vote. He has received nearly five million votes in his bid for a second term, compared with nearly 2.8 million for Gates. Bonta was appointed attorney general in 2021 and elected to a full four-year term in 2022. He is the first Filipino American to serve as California’s attorney general. Since President Trump returned to office in January 2025, Bonta has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, challenging a range of federal policies. His reelection means he will continue overseeing the state Department of Justice and representing California in legal battles involving the federal government. Bonta previously served in the state Assembly, representing the East Bay, before becoming the state’s top law enforcement official.
