A crowded crop of Democratic candidates has liberal Californians worried it could lead to the deep blue state ending up with two Republicans running for governor.
California has a jungle primary system, where the top two vote getters advance to a general election and several polls have shown Democrats could split the vote among themselves, vaulting two Republicans to the top.
The state has not elected a Republican to the governor’s mansion since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.
"We know there’s this risk ahead, a 15% chance of calamity," Paul Mitchell, a leading Democratic data strategist in the state, told Politico.
"It’s not a 15% chance of stubbing your toe, it’s a 15% chance of losing the governorship, losing the down-ballot races," he said.
Democrats are concerned two Republicans at the top of the ticket could depress turnout, wiping out the gains they hoped to make after voting to redraw the state’s congressional maps to give their party additional seats.
Leading liberal groups have called for low-polling Democrats to drop out.
"What’s at stake is massive," Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO Jodi Hicks said to Politico. "We’re not just talking about the governor’s race.
"We’re talking about what that does for everything we did for Prop 50, what that does for congressional seats, and what that means for the rest of the country."
"The country is depending on California," she said.
A similar plea by state party Chair Rusty Hicks (no relation to Jodi Hicks) was met with accusations of racism.
A debate among gubernatorial candidates was canceled over backlash that there were no minority candidates invited.
Prominent Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Alex Padilla, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have yet to endorse or try to consolidate the field.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., endorsed Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Some question whether heavyweight Democrats could clear the field for their preferred candidate.
"The idea that there’s one person who can tell people with authority that they must get out of the race — that’s a product of a bygone era," said former Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg to Politico.
"Politics today is much more open.
"That old stereotype of people behind closed doors making decisions for the broader public — that was an old way of doing things," Steinberg added.
But Mitchell says Democrats need to coordinate better to clear the field and anoint a front-runner.
"It’s a crazy calamity if the iceberg is hit," Mitchell said to Politico. "Denying there’s an iceberg isn’t a strategy."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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