California Democrats have largely defied a plea from party leaders for underperforming gubernatorial candidates to drop out of the race. Eight top Democratic hopefuls filed paperwork to appear on the June primary ballot, despite warnings that a crowded field could split the vote and allow two Republicans to advance to the November election.
Key Takeaways
California Democrats have largely ignored a plea from party leaders to drop out of the governor's race if they lack a viable path to victory. Eight top Democratic candidates filed paperwork to appear on the June ballot, despite fears that a crowded field could split the vote and allow two Republicans to advance to the November election.
- California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urged underperforming candidates to drop out of the governor's race.
- All but one of the nine major Democratic candidates ignored the plea and filed paperwork to appear on the June ballot.
- Fears persist that a crowded primary could split the Democratic vote, allowing two Republicans to advance to the November election.
- Some candidates criticized Hicks' request, arguing it disproportionately affected candidates of color.
California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks released an open letter on Tuesday urging candidates "who cannot show meaningful progress towards winning" to drop out. The filing deadline for the race is Friday, March 6. All but one of the nine major Democrats ignored the plea and filed paperwork to appear on the June ballot.
Party leaders fear that a crowded field could split the Democratic electorate in the state's June top-two primary election, resulting in two Republicans advancing to the November ballot. This scenario has not occurred since 2006. Hicks said the fate of a Democratic victory now rests squarely on the gubernatorial candidates who flouted him.
"The candidates for Governor now have a chance to showcase a viable path to win," Hicks said in a statement Thursday. "I believe it starts with a candid assessment of the political landscape around you, an honest reflection on your viability to win the race and the courage to make a tough choice."
Some candidates criticized Hicks' request, arguing that most of the lower-polling candidates he asked to drop out are people of color. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a video posted on social media, "Our political system is rigged, corrupted by the political elites, the wealthy and well connected."
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa argued that it was too early for quality candidates to call it quits. "Most people don’t even know who’s in the race," said Villaraigosa. "It’s premature to be thinking about getting out of the race. I certainly am not considering it and I feel no pressure."
Just one of the nine major Democrats heeded Hicks' message. Ian Calderon, a former Los Angeles-area Assemblyman who consistently polled near the bottom of the field, withdrew from the race and endorsed Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) on Thursday.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 4 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.