Fearing a Lockout in November, Newsom Joins Chorus Calling for Some Democrats To Consider Quitting Governor’s Race

Fearing that his party could be locked out of November’s gubernatorial election, Governor Gavin Newsom now says some Democrats running for governor should consider quitting the race in the coming weeks. The crowded Democratic primary field has split the vote, allowing two Republicans to take the lead in most polls. California is one of the few states in the nation which uses what is known as a “jungle primary” electoral system, meaning all candidates of all parties run against each other in the first round of voting, with the top-two finishers then moving on to a general election in November. Even though California is a deep-blue state, the presence of nine major Democratic candidates on the ballot has significantly split the Democratic base in the first round of voting. Thanks to those nine candidates splitting the electorate, two major Republican candidates, political commentator Steve Hilton and the Riverside County sheriff, Chad Bianco, are leading the field, according to polls. If Messrs. Hilton and Bianco were to come in first and second in the June primary, then Democrats would be locked out of the governor’s race this year, guaranteeing that the GOP would take control by January. Mr. Newsom, like other Democrats, are now sounding the alarm. In an open letter to Democrats running for governor, the chair of the state’s Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks, urged all nine major candidates to seriously assess their viability. He specifically mentioned the threat of no Democrat being on the ballot for the governorship come November. “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 on Tuesday.“Therefore, with the filing deadline approaching this Friday, March 6th, and the Primary Election quickly following, it is imperative that every candidate honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign,” he said in his letter. Mr. Hicks urged candidates to genuinely consider if they believe they can make progress in gaining support between now and the primary in early June. If they don’t see any path for growth, then they should not even bother registering for the primary ballot on Friday, he said. Furthermore, Mr. Hicks told candidates to “be prepared to suspend your campaign and endorse another candidate on or before April 15th if your campaign cannot show meaningful progress towards winning the Primary Election in the coming weeks.”During an interview released Wednesday, for his new memoir, Mr. Newsom says he agrees with Mr. Hicks’s assessment. The interview was taped on Tuesday night. “Rusty Hicks … sent me his statement and I read it a few hours [before it was released], and I confess I agree,” Mr. Newsom told the co-founders of Crooked Media, Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor. When the governor admitted that, he received 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.”The speaker of the California state assembly, Robert Rivas, agreed. “It’s important that candidates don’t file if they aren’t ready or able to go the distance. With respect, they know who they are,” he told the New York Times on Tuesday. The top three Democrats, according to polls, are Congressman Eric Swalwell, billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, and a former lawmaker, Congresswoman Katie Porter. The other six candidates — the former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra; San Jose’s mayor, Matt Mahan; the former Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa; the former state comptroller, Betty Yee; and the state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurmond — are all stuck in the low single-digits. According to the most recent Emerson College poll, those six candidates are all winning less than five percent of the primary vote, though combined, they are taking more than 14 percent. Mr. Swalwell is clearly the Democratic favorite, leading Mr. Steyer and Ms. Porter in most polling, though only by a few points. Those few points will clearly matter, however. Every major polling aggregator — 270toWin, Race to the WH, and RealClearPolitics — all show Messrs. Hilton and Bianco in first and second place, though only by a point or two ahead of Mr. Swalwell.

Fearing a Lockout in November, Newsom Joins Chorus Calling for Some Democrats To Consider Quitting Governor’s Race

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