"Since the candidates who finish in first and second place will advance to November's general election, the Republicans' presence near the top of polls has raised fears that they could lock out Democrats from the governorship, even in a deep-blue state."
"In a field widely acknowledged as uninspiring, Eric Swalwell had gained serious momentum until sexual assault allegations derailed his candidacy and forced his resignation from Congress. Now, Democrats are left with a splintered field that includes Xavier Becerra, a staid former Congressman and Biden administration official who suddenly surged in polls after Swalwell's departure billionaire; Tom Steyer, who has branded himself a traitor to his class; tech-forward San Jose mayor Matt Mahan; and former Congresswoman Katie Porter, well-known for grilling executives."
"In California, primaries are non-partisan, and there are also two serious, MAGA-friendly Republican candidates, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, the latter of whom gained Donald Trump's endorsement."
"To make sense of this muddle ahead of primary day on June 2, I spoke with Dan Walters, a venerable political journalist who is an opinion columnist at the nonprofit news site CalMatters. Walters has been covering the state since 1975, and estimates he is approaching his 11,000th column. He says this race is a mess unlike any he's seen, and explains that California's structural problems are a big reason why."
California’s gubernatorial race is shaped by an unusually fragmented field after high-profile Democratic candidates declined to run or exited. Eric Swalwell’s momentum collapsed following sexual assault allegations and his resignation from Congress. Xavier Becerra has surged in polls and faced heavy attacks at a recent debate. Other Democrats include Tom Steyer, Matt Mahan, and Katie Porter. The primary is non-partisan, and two Republicans, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, are polling near the top, with Hilton backed by Donald Trump. Because the top two finishers advance to the general election, Republican strength in early polling raises concerns about Democrats losing the governorship even in a deep-blue state.
#california-politics #gubernatorial-election #democratic-primary #republican-candidates #nonpartisan-primaries
Read at Intelligencer
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]