Panicking Dems Turn on Each Other as Republicans Take Top Two Spots in Calif. Governor Polls

[rangerrebew]

Panicking Dems Turn on Each Other as Republicans Take Top Two Spots in Calif. Governor Polls

 By Michael Schwarz
  March 5, 2026 at 12:07pm
The funniest thing that could ever happen in American politics, however improbable, remains possible.

In fact, it remains possible enough that California Democrats have begun to squirm a bit.

According to The New York Times, Democratic candidates for California’s governorship have turned on each other in the wake of an open letter from California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urging the weakest of the candidates to withdraw from the race, rather than strengthen the candidacies of two front-running Republicans.
 

Yes, you read that correctly: two front-running Republicans in California.

At the core of the problem for Democrats lies the state’s open primary, which allows the top two finishers, regardless of party, to advance to the general election.

https://www.westernjournal.com/panicking-dems-turn-republicans-take-top-two-spots-calif-governor-polls/

[rangerrebew]

I wonder how it feels to have the most rotten apples at the bottom of the barrel moved up to make room for you at the bottom?

[PeteS in CA]

IIRC, there are just 3 R candidates of significance, while there are, I think, 3X or 4X that many Ds. The sheer number of D candidates, if none drop out in time to be off the June 2nd primary ballot, makes it hypothetically possible that the top 2 vote getters could be Rs. Hypothetically ... I won't be toasting with Martinelli's or DP until I see the results, probably sometime between June 4th and 9th.