California Democratic Party Chair’s Plea to Thin Governor Field Largely Ignored

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks' effort to convince candidates to drop out of the crowded gubernatorial race has failed, with only one candidate withdrawing. Democrats worry the packed field could split votes and allow Republicans to advance to the general election under the state's top-two primary system.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An eleventh-hour effort by California’s leading Democratic Party official to reduce the number of candidates running for governor has failed spectacularly, keeping the race packed with contenders and heightening Democratic worries about a potential Republican victory in November.

Current Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who is stepping down, has recognized party concerns that numerous Democratic hopefuls might split votes in the June 2 primary, potentially creating an opening for a Republican to win the governorship in a state that typically votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

With Friday marking the final day for candidates to officially join the race, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks’ recent appeal for struggling candidates to withdraw has been mostly disregarded. Only former state Assembly majority leader Ian Calderon has dropped out since then. Meanwhile, Hicks faces accusations from Democratic contenders of intimidation, elitism, and insensitive comments about race.

Democratic political strategist Bill Carrick from Los Angeles explained that Hicks was making an unrealistic request, asking candidates in an open race to quit when no clear frontrunner has emerged and the primary remains months away.

“People don’t say, ‘You want me to drop out? OK,'” Carrick observed, pointing out that candidates have spent months or longer building campaigns and fundraising.

Even candidates polling poorly in this confused field “don’t see themselves so far from being competitive,” Carrick noted.

This gubernatorial contest represents the first time since California voters approved the state’s “top two” primary format over ten years ago that no dominant candidate has emerged, drawing numerous Democrats into the competition.

The Democratic field features current and former congressional members Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and Xavier Becerra, who previously led health policy in the Biden administration. Other contenders include former state controller Betty Yee, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state education chief Tony Thurmond, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. Following his withdrawal Thursday, Calderon backed Swalwell’s candidacy.

On the Republican side, the main contenders are Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative media personality Steve Hilton, both allies of President Donald Trump.

Reflecting widespread party anxiety, Hicks contended that a crowded Democratic field might fragment the party’s primary support into tiny portions, potentially allowing two Republican candidates to reach the November election. Under California’s distinctive top-two primary structure, all candidates appear on a single ballot, and only the two highest vote-getters proceed to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation, making an all-Republican November contest theoretically possible.

Hicks cautioned that having no Democratic candidate in the November election could reduce voter participation when the party seeks to reclaim House control and counter Trump’s Washington agenda.

Most candidates remained unmoved by the appeal. Thurmond, who is Black, stated the party is “essentially telling every candidate of color … to drop out.” Mahan argued Thursday that candidates still have sufficient time to gain traction, observing that “people are just starting to tune in.”

A recent survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed the field divided into two tiers, with Hilton, Porter, Bianco, Swalwell, and Steyer running competitively, while remaining candidates lag significantly behind.

Both Swalwell and Porter expressed concerns Thursday about Democrats being shut out of the general election, though neither specified which candidates should withdraw.

“That’s a decision for individual candidates to make,” Swalwell informed reporters following a candidate debate.

Porter warned that California cannot risk electing a governor who would support Trump’s agenda.

“There is a role for every candidate, always, in every race, to look at whether or not they have a path forward,” Porter told reporters Thursday. “I’m sure those are hard moments for them.”

Sam Rodriguez, who previously served as the state party’s political director, suggested Hicks should have sought delegate backing for a resolution encouraging lower-performing candidates to withdraw if they cannot demonstrate substantial polling support.

Such an approach might have proven more effective. While Hicks made his appeal alone as chair, recent party changes have worked “to give the delegates more voice,” Rodriguez explained.