Michael E. Gates

Michael E. Gates is a candidate for California Attorney General Primary Election in 2026 in Statewide, California.

Huntington Beach City Attorney in Huntington Beach, CA

Also running: Rob Bonta, Marjorie Mikels.

Michael E. Gates is an attorney and the Huntington Beach City Attorney. A lifelong Californian, he worked in private practice as a litigator and trial attorney before being elected Huntington Beach City Attorney in 2014, winning re-election multiple times. In 2025, Gates briefly served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division before returning to his local office. He is running as a Republican for Attorney General of California in 2026.