SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A plea from the California Democratic Party to clear the field in the state’s gubernatorial race has been met with defiance, as a crowded roster of candidates refuses to yield despite concerns about a potential Republican breakthrough in the November general election. The unusual call for candidates to assess their “viability” and potentially drop out—issued by party chair Rusty Hicks—underscores growing anxiety within the party about a fractured Democratic vote and the possibility of two Republican candidates advancing to compete for the governorship.
The state’s primary election, scheduled for March 3, 2026, features at least nine Democrats vying to succeed outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom. With no clear frontrunner emerging, party leaders fear a split vote could open the door for former Fox News Host Steve Hilton and ex-Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, the leading Republican contenders, to secure the top two spots on the ballot. This scenario, while considered “unlikely” by Hicks, is deemed “possible” enough to warrant the unprecedented intervention.
Hicks detailed his concerns in an open letter on Tuesday, urging candidates to act “in a responsible manner” and consider whether their continued participation risked jeopardizing the party’s chances of retaining control of the governor’s mansion. He suggested candidates without a realistic path to victory should suspend their campaigns within the next month. The letter sparked immediate backlash from several candidates who view the request as an attempt to manipulate the democratic process and silence diverse voices.
Superintendent Tony Thurmond, polling at 2% in a February survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, was among the most vocal critics, accusing the party of attempting to sideline candidates of color.
Bernie was right… the system is rigged. I’m in it to win it. pic.twitter.com/dTF6aW7y4t
— Tony Thurmond (@TonyThurmond) March 3, 2026
“The California Democratic Party is essentially telling every candidate of color in the race for governor to drop out,” Thurmond stated in a social media post, framing the situation as a symptom of a larger systemic issue.
A Diverse Field Resists Pressure
Thurmond is not alone in his resistance. Former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former Controller Betty Yee, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan have also publicly rejected calls to withdraw from the race. Yee, in a statement to Politico, expressed frustration with what she described as “insider political theater” and “the drama, the pollsters and the powerful elites.” Mahan’s campaign similarly asserted that “voters choose the next governor – not political gatekeepers.”
The crowded Democratic field also includes former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former state lawmaker Ian Calderon, former congresswoman Katie Porter, billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, and Congressman Eric Swalwell, as well as former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The breadth of candidates reflects a lack of consensus within the party regarding a clear successor to Newsom, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.
Polling Data Highlights a Divided Electorate
Recent polling data from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California suggests the race is indeed fractured. The data indicates a competitive grouping of Hilton, Porter, Bianco, Swalwell, and Steyer, while the remaining candidates trail significantly behind. This split among Democratic voters raises the specter of a scenario where two Republicans capitalize on the divided opposition and advance to the general election. The Guardian reported on the growing concerns within the party.
Newsom Acknowledges Underlying Concerns
Governor Newsom himself acknowledged the anxieties surrounding the race, stating, “There is some concern” about the crowded field. While he did not directly endorse Hicks’s call for candidates to drop out, his acknowledgement of the issue signals a level of apprehension within the highest levels of the state’s Democratic leadership. At the California Democratic Party Convention in San Francisco last month, Hicks reportedly discussed the risk of a Republican surge amid rising panic about being locked out of the governor’s race.
The Republican Challenge
On the Republican side, Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, and conservative political commentator Steve Hilton are currently the most prominent contenders. Hilton, in particular, has gained traction with a platform focused on challenging California’s progressive policies. The Guardian previously profiled Hilton’s campaign and his appeal to conservative voters.
The Democratic Party’s failure to coalesce around a single candidate could prove detrimental in a state as reliably Democratic as California. The potential for a Republican victory, however slim, is enough to prompt such an unusual intervention from the party chair, highlighting the high stakes of the upcoming election.
The deadline for candidates to officially withdraw their names from the ballot is Friday. The coming days will reveal whether any of the contenders will heed Hicks’s call, or if California voters will ultimately decide the outcome of the race through a crowded primary election. The next key date will be the primary election itself, where voters will begin to narrow the field of candidates and determine who will compete for the governorship in November.
This article will be updated as the story develops.
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