Ugh, the California governor’s race is depressing. Are Dems to blame? | Opinion
I was born into a Democratic family, but as the years passed my allegiance shifted — at least on paper.
From time to time I’ve been a card-carrying RINO, a “Republican In Name Only,” mostly for strategic purposes: I joined the GOP in 2024, for example, to vote for Nikki Haley over Donald Trump. (You see how well that worked out.)
I am now registered No Party Preference, which makes me something of an outsider. As such, I feel objectively qualified to ask: Has California’s once-mighty Democratic Party lost its mind?
I point specifically to the turmoil in the governor’s race, which the Democratic Party should own, yet it’s been one hiccup after another.
First, we saw the party’s strongest potential candidate — former Vice President Kamala Harris — say “Thanks-but-no-thanks” after leaving everyone hanging for months.
Then the top-polling contender — former Rep. Katie Porter — self-sabotaged when she melted down during a television interview and has never quite regained her footing.
Weeks later, another potential frontrunner, Sen. Alex Padilla — who had been teasing a possible run — announced he would do no such thing.
And now we have an entire stable of Democratic candidates nipping at one another’s heels, allowing Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco to slip in as leaders of the pack.
That wouldn’t be such a bad thing — maybe even refreshing — if these GOP candidates were reasonably moderate, but they are Donald Trump’s men, through and through.
Don’t count anything out in this crazy race
The ascendance of two Republicans initially seemed like a momentary blip, one that would sort itself out as the crowd of Democratic contenders thinned.
But the thinning has yet to happen, and there has been increasing talk — verging on hysteria in some circles — about Democrats being shut out of the general election.
I am not sure if this is a real possibility or media hype, to which I may have contributed in previous columns. (Sorry.) Still, we can’t afford to be too dismissive, because weirder stuff has happened. Back in the Obama years, who imagined that Trump would be president? It was laughable, right?
Anyway, here we are, just two months away from early voting, and we still have nine Democrats biding their time, as the clock is ticking.
Democratic voters should already be bonding with their candidate of choice. Instead, many probably can’t even tell you who’s running.
Do the Democratic candidates fail to recognize this?
If so, shouldn’t someone in a position of power be telling candidates who are still polling in the low single digits to pack it in before the March 6 filing deadine? After that, their names stay on the ballot, even if they pull out of the race.
Allowing weak candidates to stay in for the duration isn’t just flirting with disaster, it’s inviting it on a weekend trip to Palm Springs.
Time to ditch the jungle primary?
To be charitable, the situation is partly due to the adoption of the so-called ”jungle primary” in 2010, which sends the top two vote-getters to the run-off, rather than a nominee from each party.
Not everyone is happy with the system, and there’s even been talk of reversing course, though that would take ages. So, for now, politicians must learn to live with it, which means careful strategizing to avoid vote-splitting.
But isn’t that what party leadership is for?
Apparently so, because at last weekend’s endorsement convention, Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks took a stab at it when he assured reporters that all will be resolved.
“I think the field will naturally winnow itself … as we move closer to the primary,” he said. “I’m certainly not opening up the playbook today, but we’re ready to do what’s required to make sure we have a strong Democrat in the field come November.”
A ‘natural winnowing’ — but how?
I’m curious about how Hicks thinks this “natural winnowing” will occur. Will leadership step back and let the candidates duke it out amongst themselves — as Hilton and Bianco are doing?
(Hilton, who considers himself the alpha of the race, has been urging Bianco to drop out, going so far as to label him a “RINO” and the “Gavin Newsom of the Republican Party.” The sheriff has refused to take the bait.)
Or maybe the Democrats should draw straws or roll the dice, because at this point it doesn’t appear that many voters — myself included — are terribly invested in any one Democratic candidate. They just know they don’t want a Republican to win.
Meanwhile, Hilton remains the frontrunner, luring voters with promises of $3-a-gallon gas and homes everyone can afford, even as he fails to explain exactly how he’s going to make that magic happen, other than talking about “regulations.”
But at least he’s building his brand while Democrats are still fumbling around, trying to figure out who’s running. And if Hilton succeeds in bullying Bianco out of the race, he has an excellent chance of making the November ballot.
Who knows? He could even become our next governor, especially if he can win over enough unaffiliated voters. No Party Preference voters make up 23% of California’s electorate — and there’s no telling what we might do.
This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
