Party leaders are urging candidates to step aside and support retired state Senator Bob Wieckowski in the June 16 special election to act as a temporary replacement through the end of the seat's current term in January.
The Supreme Court granted California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) a major political victory Wednesday when it declined to hear an appeal challenging the state's redistricting, allowing the new congressional maps to be used in the upcoming midterm elections in November. Newsom has been regularly sparring with President Donald Trump throughout the president's second term, with the governor widely expected to enter the 2028 presidential race and GOP control of Congress on the line for this year's midterms.