Governor’s race wildly unpredictable two weeks before Californians receive ballots

The most unpredictable California governor’s race in recent history took another series of dazzling turns on Monday; former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is on the rise after former Rep. Eric Swalwell left in the face of sexual assault and misconduct allegations and former state Controller Betty Yee ended her bid.

The race to replace ousted Gov. Gavin Newsom is the first in a quarter-century without a clear frontrunner and a slew of candidates vying for the attention of Californians who are just starting to pay attention to the campaign two weeks before ballots hit mailboxes.

“I certainly could not have imagined the twists and turns this race has taken,” Yee said in announcing his withdrawal from the race. “But through it all, my values ​​and my vision for California have never wavered.”

A poll released Monday by the state Democratic Party, the first since Swalwell’s (D-Dublin) departure, showed Becerra’s support rising nine points to 13%, putting him in a tie with billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmental warrior Tom Steyer. Former Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County saw a slight increase from 7% to 10%, while the remaining Democrats in the contest were mired in the low single digits.

The party began the polls with concerns that Democrats might be shut out of the governor’s race because of California’s unique primary election system; Here, the two names receiving the most votes in the June 2 primary elections advance to the November general elections, regardless of political party.

“I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field,” California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks told reporters Monday. “My call for candidates to honestly evaluate the viability of their candidacy and campaign remains valid, especially if you are stuck in the single digits, seeing funding sources drying up, and/or unable to secure additional support.”

Hicks and other party leaders and allies had unsuccessfully urged low-ballot candidates to reconsider their candidacies before the filing deadline in an effort to narrow the field and prevent the Democratic vote from splitting. Although most people did not name candidates they thought should consider their survival situation, Yee was believed to be among them.

Yee became emotional Monday as she said she decided to withdraw from the race because she couldn’t raise the necessary resources to compete in the state. He also said his message of competence and experience didn’t resonate with voters who were looking for a fiery foil to President Trump and not “Boring Betty,” as he called her. Yee said he would evaluate the field before making a statement on whether he would support one of his fellow Democrats.

Becerra was another candidate believed to be the target of party leaders’ efforts to narrow the field. But he held on and seemingly took advantage of Swalwell’s decline.

“I’m not the richest candidate, I’m not the shrewdest candidate, but I’m the one who’s going to get you,” Becerra said as he rallied supporters in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The audience was packed with members of labor groups that have long supported the politician, and Becerra told them he would serve as a “union man” in the governor’s office.

Pro-Becerra and anti-Becerra forces fought outside city hall after two men who refused to identify who they worked for distributed fliers highlighting critical media investigations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the immigration crisis when the agency was led by Becerra.

Pro-Becerra attendees took the fliers and told the men to leave, prompting a security guard to intervene.

The question is whether Becerra, who has also served as state attorney general, member of Congress and state Assembly member, can raise the funds necessary to compete in some of the nation’s most expensive media markets. And he’s tied in the party’s state poll with a billionaire who poured another $12.1 million of his own money into his campaign last week.

Steyer’s total investment in his bid reached $133 million, according to the California secretary of state’s office. He also has the support of Our Revolution, a progressive political organization founded by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“We have never supported a billionaire, but Tom Steyer is using his position to subvert the system.” shared on group X On Monday. “As Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese told @theintercept, ‘He was an associate of the movement. Most billionaires used their wealth and privilege to lock in the status quo. Tom is doing the exact opposite.'”

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who is also running for governor, accused Steyer of hypocrisy for setting up a hedge fund that profited from investments in private prisons used to house ICE detainees, and Steyer called for the abolition of ICE.

Mahan noted on Instagram that Steyer “got rich investing in the ICE infrastructure he wanted to abolish.”

Steyer, who sold his shares in the hedge fund in 2012, said he ordered the company to separate from the private prison company and has repeatedly expressed regret for his former firm’s ties to the detention company.

Mahan also appeared at a Hollywood production studio on Monday to announce a proposed special fund to attract sporting events, concerts and other productions to California as part of a plan to help the struggling film and television industry.

An independent effort supporting Mahan has also raised nearly $11 million since Swalwell dropped out of the race.

Mehta reported from Los Angeles and Nixon from Sacramento. Times writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.