California Democrats Split on Governor Field as Leadership Refuses to Trim the Field

With Swalwell out, California’s Democratic governor race remains crowded and unsettled, as top figures like Governor Gavin Newsom and Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuse to pressure rivals to drop out, and Party Chair Rusty Hicks states the field should be assessed on its own. The open-top-two primary heightens concern about a possible two-Democrat or two-Republican general election, leaving seven major candidates vying for attention less than three weeks before ballots go out.