California Democratic gubernatorial candidates defy party, refuse to exit crowded governor's race

California’s Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks publicly urged lower-performing Democrats to drop out of the crowded governor’s race.

“Democratic candidates for California governor defy pressure to end campaigns Low-polling Democratic candidates for governor of California struck a defiant tone Tuesday in the face of mounting pressure from party leaders to drop out before a key deadline this week”

LAist

He warned that the large field could — though "unlikely" — allow two Republicans to advance to the November general election.

LAist

The contest includes at least nine Democrats vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom and prominent Republican contenders such as Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.

This intervention reflects party leadership alarm about the size and composition of the field and its possible consequences for November.

Many candidates pushed back against pressure to exit, saying the decision should be left to voters.

They highlighted structural barriers: the state party did not endorse a nominee at its convention, and candidates who have filed cannot remove their names from the ballot.

Los Angeles Times

So far, only one of the nine major Democrats has withdrawn and formally endorsed a rival, underscoring both the crowding on the ballot and the limits of party leverage.

Recent polling and analysis show the race is effectively split into a top tier and a large trailing pack.

“LOS ANGELES — Fearful that an election quirk could result in heavily Democratic California installing a Republican as its next governor, a top Democrat on Tuesday sent his party’s lagging candidates a blunt message: Get out of the race”

Spectrum News

Multiple polls list Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and Tom Steyer among the leaders, while other Democratic hopefuls lag, creating concern about vote‑splitting in California’s top‑two primary.

At the same time, the state’s partisan composition — Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2‑to‑1 and hold statewide control — complicates pressure for Democratic consolidation.

Party strategists and some officials warn that the crowded Democratic field could produce an unfavorable general-election lineup, and a Political Data Inc. simulation suggested roughly a 25% chance of a Republican-vs.-Republican general.

Hicks’s letter cautioned that a Bianco–Hilton outcome would threaten Democratic control, lower turnout in targeted districts, and imperil the party’s hopes to retake the U.S. House.

The Guardian

Those calculations help explain why Hicks urged campaigns to assess viability and be prepared to suspend if they failed to make "meaningful progress."

Despite those warnings, leading Republican Steve Hilton has expressed confidence he will finish in the top two alongside a Democrat.

“Democratic candidates for California governor defy pressure to end campaigns Low-polling Democratic candidates for governor of California struck a defiant tone Tuesday in the face of mounting pressure from party leaders to drop out before a key deadline this week”

LAist

Party officials acknowledge practical limits to forcing unity: the chair can be influential but "not able to strong‑arm candidates."

LAist

Some organizers describe the operation as "definitely not Tammany Hall."

That combination of candidate ambition and institutional constraint helps explain why California's crowded gubernatorial primary is likely to persist in the near term.