The race for California governor features former presidential wannabes, a county sheriff, two women who could become the first female to hold the office, House members current and former, an ex-Cabinet secretary and at least one billionaire with another in the wings. The contest has been singed by scandal and witnessed one campaign nearly melt down.<\/p>\n
And it hasn\u2019t officially started yet.<\/p>\n
The pending exit of term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/a> has created the most wide-open and crowded field for the state\u2019s highest office in memory. The job pays $242,000 a year but provides an arguably more valuable national political platform and the ability to engage in trade, climate and other global affairs. By default the California<\/a> governor, in a state of nearly 40 million people, is a national figure. Newsom is widely expected to launch a White House run after the Democrat\u2019s term ends in early January 2027.<\/p>\n The lure of the powerful job attracted its\u00a0latest\u00a0candidate Thursday \u2014 Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell<\/a>, who served as a House manager in President Donald Trump\u2019s 2021 impeachment trial and briefly sought his party\u2019s 2020 presidential nomination<\/p>\n The eventual winner will also inherit a long list of problems, from an unchecked homeless crisis to multibillion-dollar projected future budget gaps.<\/p>\n The primary is June 2. Candidates can begin taking the first steps needed to qualify for the ballot next month. Newsom has not endorsed a successor.<\/p>\n How do Democrats stand out among Democrats?<\/p>\n Democrats are strongly favored to hold the seat in a liberal-leaning state where a Republican hasn\u2019t won a statewide race in nearly two decades. Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 statewide, a staggering advantage.<\/p>\n One challenge for the growing list of Democratic\u00a0candidates\u00a0will be trying to stand out when they largely agree on most issues \u2014 dealing with the state\u2019s affordability crisis and countering Trump will top the agenda. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa<\/a> has positioned himself toward the center political lane and has been talking about his record of cutting taxes. He also boosted police force numbers and saw crime drop when he was LA\u2019s mayor.<\/p>\n Billionaire businessman Tom\u00a0Steyer,<\/a>\u00a0a recent entrant into the contest who ran for president in 2020, says the state can \u201cbreak up the monopolistic power of utilities\u201d to reduce its second-highest-in-the-nation electricity rates.<\/p>\n How many is too many?<\/p>\n Even in a field of recognized names, there is no dominant candidate.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a five-way, six-way jump ball and that ball could go in any direction,\u201d Democratic consultant Michael Trujillo said. \u201cAny one of these Democrats running currently could be our next governor.\u201d<\/p>\n In California, the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party. With many candidates dividing up the electorate, that means the two candidates who advance could get to November with just over 20% of the vote \u2014 and maybe less. The winning advantage separating the top two finishers from the rest of the field could be a percentage point or two.<\/p>\n Along with Swalwell, Villaraigosa and Steyer, other Democrats in the contest include former U.S. Rep. Katie\u00a0Porter,\u00a0former Biden administration health secretary Xavier\u00a0Becerra<\/a>, former state controller Betty Yee; schools superintendent Tony Thurmond; and real estate developer Stephen Cloobeck. Attorney General Rob Bonta, who previously said he wasn\u2019t running, is now reconsidering a bid.<\/p>\n Unwelcome publicity sours Porter\u2019s start<\/p>\n Porter \u2014 who in the House became a social media celebrity by brandishing a white board at congressional hearings while grilling CEOs \u2014 joined the unfolding race in March and moved quickly to establish herself as a leading contender.<\/p>\n But her momentum collapsed in early October, after a\u00a0snippet\u00a0of a recent TV interview went viral showing her in an awkwardly tense back-and-forth with a reporter. At one point, she threatened to walk out. Shortly afterward, a video surfaced of a 2021 interview showing her loudly berating a staffer.<\/p>\n After a deluge of online mockery, rivals quickly questioned whether she was too unsteady for the job. But Porter\u2019s campaign\u00a0lined up\u00a0supporters to help her weather the fallout. It is unclear if the unflattering episode will influence voters.<\/p>\n Becerra\u2019s name pulled into Sacramento scandal<\/p>\n Prosecutors\u00a0allege\u00a0longtime\u00a0Becerra\u00a0aide Sean McCluskie was at the center of a plan to steal money<\/a> from one of Becerra\u2019s dormant state campaign accounts to pad his salary after he accepted a job as Becerra\u2019s chief of staff in Washington.<\/p>\n Becerra is a former House member and state attorney general.<\/p>\n