California Democrats, Fearing a Lockout in November, Take Aim at Leading Republican Candidates During Gubernatorial Debate

Following the dramatic collapse of Congressman Eric Swalwell as a gubernatorial candidate due to sexual assault allegations, Democrats running for California governor are left in a similar position as before he departed. Fearing a lockout in the November general election, the four leading Democratic candidates for governor on Wednesday tried to tear down their two GOP opponents. In California’s statewide electoral system, there are no party primaries. Instead, all candidates for an office run against each other in a single “jungle primary,” with the top two vote-getters moving on to the November election. The primary will be held in early June. According to polls, Democrats are still at risk of losing control of America’s wealthiest state due to their fractured field, even after the collapse of Mr. Swalwell.At the first debate following Mr. Swalwell’s implosion, Democrats took some shots at each other, but made more of an effort to tear down their Republican opponents. The top four Democratic candidates — billionaire Tom Steyer, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra, Congresswoman Katie Porter, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — tried to muscle their way into the top two slots in the primary. “It’s interesting to watch someone who has served as a talking head on a Fox News program telling us how government should run when he never has run any government in his life,” Mr. Becerra said of the top Republican candidate in the race, Steve Hilton, who is best known for being a conservative television commentator. For months, Mr. Hilton has been leading the crowded primary with just about 16 percent of the vote, though President Trump’s endorsement seems to have boosted him into the high teens. “It’s fascinating to see that he can do all these things but he’s talking about not collecting any revenue to be able to do any of this work,” Mr. Becerra declared. “That’s what happens — you can be a talking and not worry about the consequences of what you do,” Mr. Becerra, who has served in elected office for nearly four decades, said of his opponent. According to recent polls, Mr. Hilton and a fellow Republican, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, are currently polling in the first and second places in the jungle primary. California is one of the nation’s bluest states, though the presence of five major Democratic candidates and just two top Republicans has allowed the GOP to have a real shot at shutting out the Democratic Party. Two Democrats still running for governor — former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state superintendent of public instruction Tony Thurmond — are polling in the low single digits and were not invited to Wednesday’s debate. The most recent polls show Messrs. Hilton, Bianco, Steyer, and Becerra in the top four slots, all of whom are within single digits of one another. Mr. Bianco, a longtime law enforcement officer, has promised to crack down on California’s homelessness epidemic by forcing those living on the street into shelters or rehabilitation facilities. When asked on Wednesday how he would bring the state’s fiscal situation to a budget surplus, he simply said he would crack down on “waste, fraud, and abuse,” and pointed to his record as a law enforcement officer.For the most part, Democrats’ attack lines landed either on their fellow party members or Mr. Hilton. When asked how she would grade Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the state’s homelessness crisis, Ms. Porter said she would give the outgoing governor a “B.”On the homelessness question, Mr. Steyer gave Mr. Newsom a “B-minus.”“Let’s remember this: We want our cities to be walkable and safe. We want kids to be safe walking down the street. Cleaning up this problem gives us a chance to rejuvenate our inner cities to make them vibrant,” Mr. Steyer said, promising to make America’s most populous state more family-friendly. Mr. Hilton refused to shy from Mr. Trump’s support, despite the president’s walloping in the state in the 2024 election. He described it as a “deep honor” to have Mr. Trump’s support — something sure to boost Republican support that will almost certainly be drawn from Mr. Bianco. “We will have a constructive relationship and partnership with the federal government,” Mr. Hilton said, promising to “work with the president.”For months, California Democrats have fretted about the possibility of a general election race between two Republican candidates. In an effort to dodge that scenario, one gubernatorial candidate, former state controller Betty Yee, dropped out of the race this week and endorsed Mr. Steyer. Last month, Mr. Newsom himself said he agreed with fellow Democrats’ assessments that a Trump ally could be on a glidepath to the governor’s mansion. In an open letter to gubernatorial candidates in March, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks, wrote that it was incumbent upon would-be governors to take a hard look at their chances at winning the race. “Despite the ongoing chatter, the likelihood of two Republicans effectively ‘locking out’ California Democrats from the contest for Governor in the General Election is relatively low. However, while it is implausible, it is not impossible,” Mr. Hicks wrote in an open letter last month, urging candidates to drop out if they did not see a viable path to victory by mid-April. When asked at a book tour event what he thought about that assessment, Mr. Newsom was not shy. “Rusty Hicks … sent me his statement and I read it a few hours [before it was released], and I confess I agree,” Mr. Newsom said, eliciting applause from the crowd. “At this moment in history, with all the peril and promise that marks this moment, for California … to have a Republican Trumper” as governor would not be acceptable, Mr. Newsom said. “There is no margin for error. This is a moment for real self-reflection.”

California Democrats, Fearing a Lockout in November, Take Aim at Leading Republican Candidates During Gubernatorial Debate

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