California will hold its 2020 presidential primary on Super Tuesday in March rather than June in hopes that it could be more of a player in selecting the next president, as in, suggests the capital’s newspaper, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, or perhaps Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee reported, and noted that the move would boost the two Californians considered as A-listers for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Newsweek noted that California’s primary would become one of the first in the nation, following Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Already tagging Harris as the most likely Democrat to take on President Donald Trump in 2020, Newsweek said a potentially record-large field for the Democratic nomination could be hugely significant, and as the most recognizable current probable nominee from California, Harris may stand to benefit most.
Meanwhile, the San Jose Mercury News reported Brown is considering another bill, this one directly targeting President Donald Trump, requiring presidential candidates release their tax returns to get on California's ballot. The governor has until Oct. 15 to sign or veto it.
Trump's reluctance to release his tax returns became fodder for his opponents during the 2016 presidential Republican primary and general election race against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
"The Golden State will no longer be relegated to last place in the presidential nominating process," California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said on his website. "California's primary will officially be in prime time. Candidates will not be able to ignore the largest, most diverse state in the nation as they seek our country's highest office.”
Under the current primary schedule and delegate count, California would account for 37 percent of the elected delegates on Super Tuesday and 33 percent of all delegates elected to that point, the Bee said, pointing to an analysis by Paul Mitchell, a consultant and elections expert with Political Data Inc.
"California has been a leader time and time again on the most important issues facing our country — including immigration, education, and the environment," Padilla said. "The Prime Time Primary Act will help ensure that issues important to Californians are prioritized by presidential candidates from all political parties."
Padilla said California should be more of a player in the primary with 19.4 million registered voters, the most of any other state.
"The Prime Time Primary puts California voters in the front seat in choosing our next president and will change our elections for the better," State Sen. Ricardo Lara said. "We have a responsibility to drive a different agenda at the national level and promote inclusion and consensus not the politics of division."
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