{"id":2696,"date":"2026-05-23T12:39:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T12:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/23\/is-boring-back-the-california-governors-race-and-the-fight-for-the-future-of-the-democratic-party\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T12:39:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T12:39:54","slug":"is-boring-back-the-california-governors-race-and-the-fight-for-the-future-of-the-democratic-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2696","title":{"rendered":"Is boring back? The California governor\u2019s race and the fight for the future of the Democratic party"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1fw0voq\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1j5hrwi\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"81b3d8fa-1ba9-4a81-ba94-392685afa68d\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Seven California governor candidates stand behind podiums on a debate stage with red, white, and blue decorations\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/1f9652b4127c6e74ce165c5643a556c8cd5d97c0\/0_0_4000_2667\/master\/4000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.03875\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">From left, Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton, Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra and Matt Mahan in a California governor debate earlier this month.<\/span> Photograph: MediaNews Group\/Los Angeles Daily News\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"81b3d8fa-1ba9-4a81-ba94-392685afa68d\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">From left, Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton, Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra and Matt Mahan in a California governor debate earlier this month.<\/span> Photograph: MediaNews Group\/Los Angeles Daily News\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Is boring back? The California governor\u2019s race and the fight for the future of the Democratic party<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-cj4vxp\">\n<p>A massive field, no clear frontrunners and one big scandal have turned the high-stakes battle into a head-scratcher<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">X<\/span>avier Becerra arrived at Dulan\u2019s on Crenshaw grinning like a man who couldn\u2019t believe his luck. Joining him at the south Los Angeles soul food restaurant on a Tuesday morning in the final stretch of California\u2019s volatile race for governor was Jasmine Crockett, the firebrand Texas Democrat, who had flown in to endorse his campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe had to go search for one of the best fighters in the world,\u201d Becerra said of Crockett, as he addressed a crowd of Black community leaders and union workers gathered for a buffet breakfast, \u201cand make sure she could come in and inspire us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Supporters pressed closer, leaning over plates of eggs and grits with their phones raise, to record the congresswoman, as she urged Californians to choose \u201ccredentials\u201d over \u201cgimmicks\u201d in the contest to replace the term-limited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/gavin-newsom\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Gavin Newsom<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">There were murmurs of agreement, followed by loud cheering when Rex Richardson, the mayor of Long Beach, predicted that California was on the verge of the \u201cBecerra era\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI think the voters are waking up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"9229c529-888b-47ce-8c64-cb8bea14a2db\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a men and a women \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/83cde6d3e466085b1179a352d1d8c01af04144de\/0_0_7659_5122\/master\/7659.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"297.59629194411804\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"9229c529-888b-47ce-8c64-cb8bea14a2db\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Jasmine Crockett introduces Xavier Becerra during a breakfast at Dulan\u2019s on Crenshaw in Los Angeles last week. <\/span> Photograph: Christina House\/Los Angeles Times\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democrats<\/a> tuning in around the US, the race to lead the most populous state in the country, the home of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and the world\u2019s fourth-largest economy, has been, simply put, uninspiring. California is, after all, a state that has elected actual movie stars to the governor\u2019s mansion \u2013 most recently Arnold Schwarzenegger \u2013 but this year\u2019s campaign has lacked main-character energy. It\u2019s felt like watching a \u201cminor league baseball game when you thought you had a ticket to the World Series\u201d, one national strategist quipped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">How did Democrats get here? A Kamala Harris-sized hole in the field, top party figures passing on a run, and allegations of sexual abuse all converged in what has been a somewhat head-scratching, unusually helter-skelter but undoubtedly high-stakes battle for the governorship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Beneath the drama are the more fundamental questions Democrats have yet to answer, said Mike Madrid, a former political director of the California Republican party who is now a prominent anti-Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-latino-vote\/id1613279254\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">commentator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe Democratic party is really struggling to figure out who it is and what it is,\u201d Madrid said. \u201cIn the Trump era, especially in a state as blue as California, the tip of the resistance, the party has defined itself almost entirely on what it is against and not what it\u2019s for. And now that it\u2019s got this choice to make, it doesn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Until recently, few would have predicted that, with days left before the 2 June primary, Becerra stands a chance to advance to the November general election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Just weeks ago, he was stuck at 3% in the polls, one of the more than half-dozen Democrats being urged to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/mar\/03\/california-governor-democrats-gavin-newsom\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">drop out<\/a> and make room for a more viable contender. Becerra, like most of his Democratic rivals, ignored those calls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Now, as ballots trickle in, he is locked in a fierce three-way contest with billionaire investor turned liberal mega-donor Tom Steyer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/17\/tom-steyer-billionaire-candidate-democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the top choice of progressives<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/02\/steve-hilton-california-governor-race\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">British-born Fox News personality<\/a> Steve Hilton, a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump. Under California\u2019s quirky primary system, the top two vote-getters advance, regardless of party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThere\u2019s simply no precedent in modern California political history for a field this big or this amorphous,\u201d said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at the University of Southern California, the University of California, Berkeley and Pepperdine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Political fortunes could still change, again. Many Democrats are holding onto their ballots in hopes that the field will settle, as the attack ads fly. Steyer, Becerra argues, is trying to \u201cbuy his way\u201d into the governor\u2019s mansion while making progressive policy promises he simply cannot keep. Steyer, meanwhile, accuses Becerra of being a \u201ccareer politician\u201d whose experience is riddled with management failures and policy inconsistencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis race isn\u2019t over,\u201d said Rusty Hicks, chair of the state Democratic party, acknowledging the \u201ctwists and turns\u201d of a primary election he described as \u201cin many ways, crazy\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"0b905c7f-3dc0-45dd-a27f-d52f08b4d2ea\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a men surrounded by signs \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/761a37501d1722adfcb5e64d7efc6f39a272c2f8\/0_0_5841_4000\/master\/5841.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"304.7423386406437\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"0b905c7f-3dc0-45dd-a27f-d52f08b4d2ea\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Tom Steyer in Los Angeles earlier this month.<\/span> Photograph: Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">When the contest first<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2023\/04\/24\/eleni-kounalakis-campaign-california-governor-2026-00093381\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> kicked off<\/a>, Joe Biden was president and Dianne Feinstein, the late California senator, was still serving in Washington.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Then Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, and her return to California raised hopes that she might run to lead her home state. She formally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/jul\/30\/kamala-harris-california-governor-race-election\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">ruled out<\/a> the possibility last July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Democrats scrambled for an alternative, seeking to recruit the US senator Alex Padilla, who declined. Attorney general Rob Bonta also passed. The field grew, but no one with Harris\u2019s profile ever jumped in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Left was a roster of Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/14\/california-governor-race-eric-swalwell-resigns\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">with r\u00e9sum\u00e9s but little star power<\/a>. In addition to Becerra and Steyer, it included: the congressman Eric Swalwell; the former congresswoman Katie Porter; the San Jose mayor, Matt Mahan, the former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; the former state controller Betty Yee; the state superintendent of public instruction Tony Thurmond \u2013 and more still, none with more than 20% of the electorate\u2019s support. Earlier this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/feb\/22\/california-democratic-convention-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">panic<\/a> began to set in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Surveys consistently showed two Republicans, Hilton and Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco, leading the race, raising the possibility, remote as it always was, that Democrats might be locked out entirely of the general election in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe do have to just make sure that we don\u2019t shoot ourselves in the foot, so to speak,\u201d Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in February, on the sidelines of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/feb\/22\/california-democratic-convention-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">state party convention in San Francisco<\/a>, where delegates deadlocked over an endorsement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As pressure to consolidate the field intensified, Swalwell began to rack up endorsements and edge ahead \u2013 until several women came forward with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/16\/eric-swalwell-department-of-justice-investigation\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">shocking accusations<\/a>, alleging sexual misconduct and assault. Swallwell denied the allegations, but ended his campaign and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/13\/house-ethics-committee-eric-swalwell-investigation\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> resigned from Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"fbf83447-eb3c-46ef-8116-8831e5178419\" data-spacefinder-role=\"supporting\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-a2pvoh\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eric Swalwell speaks to reporters in San Francisco on 3 November 2025\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/339f049050eaa47ee62eddcdb650a369cc6c4d91\/0_0_5515_3677\/master\/5515.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.6935630099728\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fbf83447-eb3c-46ef-8116-8831e5178419\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1sv232j\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Eric Swalwell speaks to reporters in San Francisco in November last year. Swalwell suspended his campaign and resigned from the House in April.<\/span> Photograph: Jeff Chiu\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As Swalwell imploded, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/14\/california-governor-race-eric-swalwell-resigns\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the race fractured<\/a>, again. Steyer began to scoop up progressive support: the Bernie Sanders-aligned Our Revolution and even a tepid recommendation from the Democratic Socialists of America. Hilton, with Trump\u2019s backing, has rallied Republicans behind his appeal for \u201csome fresh thinking after 16 years of one-party rule\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI had a fever dream that in California, socialists were supporting a billionaire and Maga was supporting an immigrant,\u201d Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, which has endorsed Becerra, wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jodihicks\/status\/2053939691616186642\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">widely shared<\/a> X post.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">T<\/span>he Golden state has long functioned as a kind of vanguard for liberal governance: a place that embraces progressive taxation, climate action, immigrant protections and LGBTQ+ rights alongside a culture of celebrity and innovation. But an affordability crisis, the sky-high cost of housing, a hostile federal government and worsening natural disasters have infused the race with a more existential question: is the California dream broken?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the tumult, amid the Democratic candidates\u2019 competing answers to that question, Republicans have sensed an opening. California can be \u201cgolden again\u201d, Hilton says in one of his ads, urging voters to turn the page on \u201cyears of Democrat failure\u201d. Images of Newsom, Harris and the mayor of Los Angeles, Democrat Karen Bass, flash across the screen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In Los Angeles, former reality TV villain Spencer Pratt, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/spencer-pratt-los-angeles-mayor-trump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Republican<\/a> who lost his home in the Palisades fire last year, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/16\/spencer-pratt-los-angeles-mayor\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">attempting to unseat Bass<\/a> by tapping into the furious anti-establishment current that propelled Trump to the White House and Zohran Mamdani to the New York City mayor\u2019s office. Most observers believe Pratt remains a longshot, but his sudden contention, they say, reflects deep discontent with the current state of affairs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"7668f554-1a1d-4cd5-ab24-a78dd76f5552\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Woman on stage behind lectern\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/75784b01e2ccbe02ba7a719e3dfec99b92e16f82\/0_0_5500_3661\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.2081818181818\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7668f554-1a1d-4cd5-ab24-a78dd76f5552\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Katie Porter at a debate in the race for governor of California hosted by the San Francisco Examiner.<\/span> Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cCalifornia suffers from the same problems as the rest of the country, only more so, because of its size and its dynamism,\u201d said Miriam Pawel, a journalist and author who has written extensively about the state\u2019s politics, history and culture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If 2025 was any indication, Californians are unlikely to see electing Republican leaders \u2013 particularly ones Trump finds agreeable \u2013 as the solution. In November, voters overwhelmingly passed Prop 50, which asked residents to redraw the state\u2019s congressional map to advantage Democrats in response to a Trump-sought gerrymander in Texas. Democrats enter this year\u2019s midterm elections with considerable strength, according to recent polling, even as they remain deeply frustrated with their party and divided over its path forward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Voters don\u2019t want business as usual, argued Lorena Gonzalez, president of the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, which issued a multi-candidate endorsement of Steyer, Porter and Villaraigosa.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"cc557ada-8f77-4bb0-af6f-01e9cf8c229b\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-6\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Candidates Matt Mahan and Steve Hilton at the San Francisco Examiner and CBS debate.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/faad8e701d368214ab45e1a57fe9c1ed40a577f1\/0_0_5500_3668\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.77454545454543\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-6\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"cc557ada-8f77-4bb0-af6f-01e9cf8c229b\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Candidates Matt Mahan and Steve Hilton at the San Francisco Examiner and CBS debate. <\/span> Photograph: Carlos Barr\u00eda\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIf we don\u2019t take on the current economic system, we are going to continue to see wealth inequality [grow] in ways that are just astounding,\u201d Gonzalez said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe have to do it in California,\u201d she added, \u201cso the rest of the nation can see that it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">At a Steyer event in east Los Angeles, Ruby Ortega, a 50-year-old veteran who now works as a healthcare aide, said she was struggling to pay rent and put gas in her car.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThings need to change,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m tired of it. How are we supposed to live like this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ortega, who wore a cross around her neck, said she remained undecided. She liked Steyer\u2019s plan to make the wealthy pay more, but was also drawn to Becerra\u2019s record of taking on the Trump administration as attorney general \u2013 yes, she\u2019d heard about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXzsTXTkZbJ\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">122<\/a> lawsuits he filed against the federal government in Trump\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Steyer\u2019s supporters say this moment calls for the kind of progressive platform he has embraced, zipping across the state on his \u201cA California you can afford\u201d bus tour. Casting his wealth as an assurance that he \u201ccan\u2019t be bought\u201d, Steyer has spent more than $190m of his personal fortune on his campaign so far, much of it to blanket the airwaves with commercials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe don\u2019t have the luxury of returning to the status quo,\u201d said Betty Yee, the former state controller, who suspended her campaign for governor and endorsed Steyer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Over the course of more than a dozen, often unwieldy, debates and forums, the Democrats all mostly agreed that big changes were needed in Sacramento \u2013 and Washington. And with Newsom already looking ahead to the 2028 presidential race, many believe it will be up to his successor to deliver them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIf the next governor doesn\u2019t challenge the status quo in Sacramento to deliver dramatically better outcomes, we are going to lose the trust of the electorate and end up with a Republican governor in eight years,\u201d Mahan, the San Jose mayor, said during an interview at a coffee shop in West Hollywood. \u201cMaybe four.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Mahan is offering a centrist approach he says has worked to reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing in San Jose, which, he proudly remind voters, is the largest city in Silicon Valley and the third-largest in the state. Despite a burst of early support from tech leaders and businessmen, like Google co-founder Sergey Brin and billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, Mahan has struggled to break out. But he continues to make his case, arguing that he is the best Democratic alternative for voters still still in search of \u201csomeone who will be a fixer of our problems here in California\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In an unusual move, plenty of California Democrats are waiting to return their ballots, holding out for more clarity \u2013 and more polling \u2013 before they vote. It\u2019s a strategy born of caution, said Greg Bergantz, a leader with the group Indivisible El Dorado.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI want everyone to vote,\u201d he said, but he hoped Democrats would be strategic about it. Though the chances of both Republican candidates advancing had all-but evaporated, Bergantz said he preferred to wait for the final batch of \u201cgold-standard\u201d polls to be released before he makes a final decision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThings are in topsy-turvy right now,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t want to do anything that\u2019s going to make Trump happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"7195149f-07da-4540-85d1-f66ab0f15ba6\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-7\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A campaign bus for California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is parked in the lot of Pan Pacific Park before a campaign event in Los Angeles.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/327e6657630006d4f2b58c7f7073cfa4070b955d\/0_0_8640_5760\/master\/8640.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-7\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7195149f-07da-4540-85d1-f66ab0f15ba6\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A campaign bus for California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is parked in the lot of Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles.<\/span> Photograph: Jae C Hong\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">While many feel the race has failed to inspire, some observers have argued the campaign is more a return to the norm for a state that has also embraced technocrats and workhorses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI think Californians want a governor whose name they don\u2019t remember,\u201d Madrid said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It\u2019s one explanation for Becerra\u2019s unlikely ascent. An experienced Democrat with a compelling biography, he is, by his own admission, \u201cnot the slickest\u201d candidate to ever run for public office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Garry South, who helped elect Gray Davis in the state\u2019s last truly competitive Democratic primary for governor in 1998, said California voters often reach for the steady choice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWhen people are considering who they want to be governor of the biggest state, there is a certain amount of pragmatism that sets in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">South saw echoes of the 1998 campaign, recalling that Davis was a politician whose first name, some joked, matched his personality. Yet he surprised the pundits and won. \u201cBoring and dull are in,\u201d Davis spokesperson Michael Bustamante <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/lifestyle\/1999\/06\/07\/after-six-years-in-suspended-animation-and-with-an-election-right-around-the-corner-al-gore-shows-no-sign-of-stirring-from-the-big-sleepy\/56855b81-b100-462c-bcc7-b03967752757\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told<\/a> the Washington Post in 1999. \u201cJust look at Gray Davis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bustamante is now working for Becerra\u2019s campaign, and was on hand Tuesday for the breakfast at Dulan\u2019s, where Crockett, the Texas congresswoman, argued passionately that the governor\u2019s race was bigger than California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI remember a presidential election where people wanted to talk about everything but qualifications,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd now our democracy hangs by a thread.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/california\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">California<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US midterm elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/gavin-newsom\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Gavin Newsom<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/west-coast\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">West Coast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Is%20boring%20back?%20The%20California%20governor%E2%80%99s%20race%20and%20the%20fight%20for%20the%20future%20of%20the%20Democratic%20party&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/23\/california-governors-race-democratic-party?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F23%2Fcalifornia-governors-race-democratic-party&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/23\/california-governors-race-democratic-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-jwg3xc\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From left, Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton, Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra and Matt Mahan in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}