A crowded field of eight California Democrats is splitting the race for governor, as the coalition behindoutgoing Gov. Gavin Newsombegins to fracture.
The result could be unthinkable: Republican victory in November.
Party leaders tried, and failed, toconvince some of their own gubernatorial candidates to drop outof the race before Friday’s filing deadline.
The warning was blunt: Too many Democrats will split the vote and allow two Republican candidates to qualify for the general election under the rules of California’s “jungle” primary.
California adopted its unique primary system, also known as the “top-two” system, through a statewide ballot measure in 2010. All candidates appear on the same primary ballot, regardless of party, and the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.
The reform was supposed to weaken party machines and reward moderation. Instead, it sometimes leaves parties scrambling to control their own candidates and avoid electoral accidents.
Democrats have reason to worry. They faced this same scenario in the 2014 race for California controller, where a crowded Democratic field of prominent candidates nearly produced a Republican-only general election in one of the bluest states in America. Democrats ultimately avoided that embarrassment, but only barely.
More than a decade later, the Democrats see the same dynamics emerging.
Polling shows several Democratic gubernatorial candidates clustered within just a few percentage points of one another —while two Republicans, Steve Hiltonand Chad Bianco, remain ahead of the pack.
Each of the Democrats represents a different faction within the party. Each is strong in his or her own right. Each can make the case for staying in the race.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
