{"id":340934,"date":"2026-06-01T03:58:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T03:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340934\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T03:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T03:58:08","slug":"california-dems-huge-dilemma-over-governor-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/340934\/","title":{"rendered":"California Dems’ huge dilemma over governor race"},"content":{"rendered":"

California Democrats are going to be forced to endorse a gubernatorial candidate none of them want<\/a> because the talent pool is so weak, experts have claimed.<\/p>\n

Party bigwigs are likely going to row in behind Xavier Becerra<\/a> as he leads the field of lackluster left-wing candidates ahead of the primary on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

It comes as powerbrokers such as Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris<\/a> and Nancy Pelosi<\/a> have remained silent for months on who their preferred choice is.<\/p>\n

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about his state budget proposal on May 14, 2026, in Sacramento. AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n

Kamala Harris speaks at the Public Counsel Awards Dinner on April 29, 2026 in Beverly Hills. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

A Republican official claimed to The Post it is because they have a \u201clack of enthusiasm\u201d for the Democratic candidates<\/a> who offer \u201cno excitement\u201d while campaigning.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile one strategist said they believe Newsom<\/a> and Harris are refusing to come forward in case they \u201cget egg on their face\u201d ahead of their expected presidential runs.<\/p>\n

Even Democrat party chairman Rusty Hicks<\/a> avoided the question multiple times in an an excruciating interview over the weekend, refusing to even admit he was happy Becerra was in the running.<\/p>\n

Rusty Hicks, the Chair of the California Democratic Party (CADEM) speaks at a press availability session ahead of the California Democratic Party\u2019s 2025 State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. AP<\/p>\n

Nancy Pelosi speaks at a \u201cGet Out the Vote\u201d rally on May 29, 2026 in San Francisco. Getty Images<\/p>\n

The election is poised on a knife\u2019s edge, with Republican Steve Hilto<\/a>n and Democrats Becerra and Tom Steyer jockeying it out for top spot<\/a> across multiple polls.<\/p>\n

Some have Becerra on around 28%, with Steyer on 22% and Hilton close behind on 21%. But a McLaughlin & Associates survey for The Post has Hilton and Steyer on 25%<\/a> and Becerra on 19%.<\/p>\n

Since horrific rape allegations forced Eric Swalwell <\/a>to drop out of the race, Becerra had mopped up much of his support and suddenly started polling towards the top of the pack.<\/p>\n

Candidates for California Governor, from left, Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, Xavier Becerra and Matt Mahan. Jon Rou\/LMU<\/p>\n

Yet party leadership appears unwilling to stump him up as their preferred choice, with Hicks previously calling on lower polling Democrats \u2014 which included him at the time \u2014 to drop out.<\/p>\n

When asked repeatedly about Becerra during an interview shared over the weekend, the party chairman refused to endorse him or even say he was glad he was in the race.<\/p>\n

He simply told KCRA: \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone could have predicted as to how this race would turn out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Post reached out to the Democrats to ask whether an endorsement was imminent. The party did not respond. The party has remained reluctant to rally around any one candidate.<\/p>\n

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At February\u2019s California Democratic Party convention, no contender came close to securing the 60% support required to earn the party\u2019s endorsement. Swalwell led the field with about 24%, while Becerra finished third with 3%.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone who endorsed Swalwell was embarrassed. No-one wants a repeat of that,\u201d Democratic political consultant Steven Maviglio told The Post.<\/p>\n

Harris, Pelosi and Newsom have all declined to endorse a candidate in the race, even as they have weighed in on other contests across the state, including backing Karen Bass for LA mayor.<\/p>\n

Newsom has made clear he wants a Democrat to win \u2014 just not which Democrat.<\/p>\n

Candidate Xavier Becerra attends a debate in the race for governor of California, hosted by the San Francisco Examiner and CBS, in San Francisco. REUTERS<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m supporting a Democrat in the runoff and look forward to the voters making that decision very shortly,\u201d Newsom said in April, saying he is \u201cabsolutely confident\u201d a Democrat will emerge from the June 2 primary election.<\/p>\n

Biden has likewise remained on the sidelines. Becerra served as secretary of Health and Human Services in his administration, yet the former president has not endorsed him.<\/p>\n

But he has endorsed several former administration officials in other races, including former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Dan Koh in the Massachusetts 6th Congressional District Democratic primary and ex-White House Director of Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms in her bid for Georgia governor.<\/p>\n

The Post reached out to the former president\u2019s office to ask why he had withheld an endorsement for Becerra.<\/p>\n

Newsom, Pelosi and Harris were also asked whether they were considering weighing in before Tuesday\u2019s election, but did not respond.<\/p>\n

Here is the latest on the 2026 California governors race<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a scenario where Gov. Newsom could have endorsed, but now is not that time,\u201d said Maviglio, president of a Sacramento-based public affairs firm.<\/p>\n

He said the race remains \u201cso fluid and without a frontrunner,\u201d which has fueled hesitation among top Democrats.<\/p>\n

Maviglio added endorsements are typically a signal to voters about shared values and argued that support from leaders like Newsom or Pelosi can be \u201cjet fuel to a campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor isn\u2019t endorsing because he has presidential ambitions and if his endorsed candidate lost it would be egg on his face,\u201d Maviglio claimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in the nature of these elected officials to be risk-averse, and all the state\u2019s leading Democrats have had long relationships with Steyer and Becerra.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom Steyer at a rally held at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College in Downtown Los Angeles on May 31, 2026. Toby Canham for CA Post<\/p>\n

Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, sees things differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s due to the lack of enthusiasm. I don\u2019t think they can get voters excited. They\u2019re not enthusiastic about any of the Democratic gubernatorial contenders,\u201d Rankin told the Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou remember Eric Swalwell was the guy everybody was rallying behind. And then we all know what happened. The rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times it\u2019s what people don\u2019t say that says everything. So the fact that they are not weighing in on Xavier Becerra means there\u2019s something that they know that we don\u2019t know yet,\u201d Rankin added. \u201cI think it\u2019s very telling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rankin noted the lack of endorsements can also be due to \u201cbaggage\u201d that candidates may bring, but did not elaborate.<\/p>\n

She noted the Republican Party was evenly split between Hilton and Chad Bianco at its convention and did not issue an endorsement, though she said the party would unite behind whichever candidate advances.<\/p>\n

Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Informally, Republicans have largely rallied behind Hilton after receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Oil companies are making a cash splash in the final stretch of the race to back Becerra, drawing criticism from rival Steyer, who has attacked him for accepting oil industry contributions.<\/p>\n

Becerra has also faced political and media backlash over a recent on-camera exchange with KTLA reporter Annie Rose Ramos, where he appeared to push back on questions and asked, \u201cthis is not a gotcha piece, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

His record in the Biden administration has also come under renewed scrutiny.<\/p>\n

Following a recent CNN debate, former Justice Department spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa said Becerra \u201cwas not effective in government,\u201d though former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain called the criticism \u201cprofoundly unfair,\u201d and former COVID response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha defended Becerra\u2019s handling of a difficult portfolio.<\/p>\n

There have also been reports of internal frustrations within the White House over Becerra\u2019s management style, including delays tied to migrant child processing at the southern border.<\/p>\n

Jill Biden, Joe Biden and Xavier Becerra during a meeting at the White House on September 13, 2023. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Separately, Politico reported skepticism among some former Biden staffers regarding Becerra\u2019s political standing, with one staffer saying of internal polling, \u201cIt gets the biggest laugh every time we send around a poll,\u201d referring to his performance ahead of the June primary.<\/p>\n

Additional attention has been drawn to Becerra\u2019s political orbit following developments in a criminal case involving a former California political aide.<\/p>\n

Former California political aide Dana Williamson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and making false statements to the FBI.<\/p>\n

The case involved a scheme to steal about $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra, whom authorities say was the victim.<\/p>\n

The Becerra campaign did not respond to The Post\u2019s requests for comment regarding the lack of endorsements from former colleagues and other Democratic power brokers.<\/p>\n

Xavier Becerra speaks as Gavin Newsom looks on during a news conference at the California justice department on September 18, 2019 in Sacramento. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Matt Klink, a political strategist, argued the lack of endorsements may actually benefit voters.<\/p>\n

\u201cElite coordination reduces uncertainty. If influential figures like Newsom, Pelosi, Harris, or Biden all move in the same direction, it can create a perception of consensus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cConversely, when those leaders are divided or silent, voters are more likely to make independent judgments and keep their options open.\u201d<\/p>\n

California\u2019s jungle primary was backed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as a way to transform state politics, forcing candidates to appeal to voters across party lines and ultimately elevating more moderate politicians.<\/p>\n

On June 2, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn modern primaries, particularly for Democrats, endorsements tend to follow momentum more often than they create it,\u201d Klink said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of endorsements in the governor\u2019s race highlights the uncertainty that still exists, particularly among Democratic and decline-to-state voters.\u201d<\/p>\n

A growing number of California Democrats are embracing an unusual election strategy ahead of the state\u2019s crowded gubernatorial primary: waiting until the final possible moment to cast their ballots.<\/p>\n

The tactic is being fueled by anxiety within left-wing circles over the state\u2019s open primary system, where the top two candidates advance to the November election regardless of party affiliation \u2014 a format commonly known as the \u201cjungle primary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California Democrats are going to be forced to endorse a gubernatorial candidate none of them want because the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340935,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,46666,9,8,457,9394,8669,13,17382,25299,3586,3707],"class_list":["post-340934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-governor-election-2026","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-gavin-newsom","tag-kamala-harris","tag-nancy-pelosi","tag-politics","tag-steve-hilton","tag-tom-steyer","tag-us-news","tag-xavier-becerra"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}