{"id":235789,"date":"2026-03-25T12:59:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/235789\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:59:08","slug":"in-the-california-governors-race-two-republicans-land-at-top-of-the-state-democratic-partys-poll-the-mercury-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/235789\/","title":{"rendered":"In the California governor\u2019s race, two Republicans land at top of the state Democratic Party\u2019s poll \u2013 The Mercury News"},"content":{"rendered":"

If voters were to cast their ballots today in the race for California\u2019s next governor<\/a>, two Republicans would land in the top-two spots while three Democrats would essentially be in a dead heat for third place, if new polling data<\/a> released by the state\u2019s Democratic Party is any indicator.<\/p>\n

Political commentator Steve Hilton led the pack in the poll released Tuesday with 16% voter support, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 14%.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0Canceled USC debate could reshape governor\u2019s race after backlash over exclusions, experts say<\/a><\/p>\n

Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer each had about 10% voter support, though there were nuances.<\/p>\n

For Swalwell, 9% of voters surveyed said they backed the lawmaker, with another 1% leaning toward voting for him. In Porter\u2019s case, 8% said they\u2019d vote for her, while another 2% leaned her way. Steyer had 7% support plus another 3% leaning his way.<\/p>\n

The poll identified each candidate by their ballot designation title and party affiliation.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks is seen in this 2025 file photo. (Photo credit: Chris Olivarez)\u00a0<\/p>\n

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks said the results \u2014 similar to other recent polls in the race for governor \u2014 show there\u2019s a chance, however low, that Democrats could get locked out of the general election. In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the November contest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s yet another reminder of the undeniable fact that all candidates must honestly assess their viable path to win,\u201d Hicks said during a call with reporters Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

Five other Democrats polled in the single digits: former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan all had about 3% voter support. Former state Controller Bet<\/a>ty Yee<\/a> came in at 2% while California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond stood at 1%.<\/p>\n

The new poll is the first of six the California Democratic Party plans to release ahead of the June 2 election, part of its Voter Opinion, Trend, & Engagement Research Index, to provide snapshots of where things stand among the crowded field of candidates hoping to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.<\/p>\n

It follows an open letter Hicks penned earlier this month, urging long-shot Democrats to drop out due to concerns that having too many Democrats on the ballot would split Democrats\u2019 votes and allow two Republicans to advance to the general election.<\/p>\n

Such an outcome would be stunning in a deep-blue state where voters last elected a Republican governor two decades ago when Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term.<\/p>\n

Only one candidate heeded Hicks\u2019 call to drop out, while most of the lower-polling Democrats who have held, or are currently in, elected office have remained in the race.<\/p>\n

Hicks was asked Tuesday to define what he meant by a \u201cviable\u201d candidate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re polling at 1 to 2%, do you have a path to get to 20 (percent)? That\u2019s the question. Do you have a path to put you in a position to win the primary election, that puts you into the general election?\u201d Hicks asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these candidates are experienced in the political space,\u201d he added. \u201cThey know when they\u2019re viable and when they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The VOTER Index poll was released less than 24 hours after USC canceled a scheduled debate for Tuesday night featuring a half-dozen of the top-performing candidates.<\/p>\n

KABC Channel 7 and the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future had faced backlash for the methodology used to determine which candidates would get to participate, a formula which resulted in only candidates of color, among the top 10 in most polls, being excluded.<\/p>\n

USC has defended the formula, including the \u201cindependence, objectivity and integrity\u201d of the professor who came up with the scoring system.<\/p>\n

Hicks said the debate\u2019s cancellation was a \u201cmissed opportunity\u201d for voters to hear from candidates, but he said he expected future opportunities for that to occur.<\/p>\n

Although about three-quarters of survey respondents in the VOTER Index poll identified a candidate they would vote for, 24% were undecided<\/a> and said they weren\u2019t leaning toward any one candidate.<\/p>\n

Hicks wasn\u2019t surprised, noting that many voters are just now starting to pay attention to the race.<\/p>\n

And although the two candidates leading the poll are Republicans, the chair of the California Democratic Party noted that each still garnered less than 20% voter support, which he called \u201ckinda sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seventy days out from the primary election, Rusty said, there is still room for any candidate to move ahead.<\/p>\n

The California Democratic Party\u2019s poll was conducted March 12-17 by the L.A.-based public opinion research firm Evitarus Research.<\/p>\n

It reflected responses from 2,000 likely voters. The results have a margin of error of 2.19 percentage points.<\/p>\n

The next VOTER Index poll is expected to be released no later than April 7.<\/p>\n

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