The race for California governor remains wide-open, with no clear frontrunner emerging.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 12:54AMof California remains extremely crowded ahead of the June primary election. It remains the most wide-open race in decades, with no clear frontrunner emerging. USC cancelling Tuesday's debate won't help narrow the field.
"What voters need right now is more information about these races, not less," said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Incorporated. One thing remains clear - the eight Democrats running are splitting votes, keeping the possibility alive that two Republicans could lock them out of the November runoff. With USC cancelling Tuesday night's debate, political experts say it's a win for Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. "They are winning by Democrats being in disarray," Mitchell said. "They do win from having Democrats be in this kind of stalled position, and not having a debate actually hurts Democrats because it disallows them from having the public attention, the focus on the issues that they care about, and then the media that comes from these debates. "This is definitely a quote-unquote 'win' for the Republican side of the ticket when we're not seeing those Democratic voices be heard in a public debate.""All candidates must honestly assess their viable path to win, and I continue to call for them to do so," Hicks said. "Simply put, it's the best way to ensure that we elect a Democrat as our next governor. "If you're polling at 1 to 2%, do you have a path to get to 20? That's the question. Do you have a path to put you in a position to win the primary election, that puts you into the general election?" The election is 70 days away. Ballots will be mailed out in 40 days. Earlier this month during a book tour stop in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom weighed in on the race to replace him. "At this moment in history, with all the peril and promise that marks this moment for California, the most un-Trump state in America, to have a Republican Trump-er running, there is no margin for error," Newsom said. "This is a moment for real self-reflection," he added. "Is it about you? Is it about me? Or is it about all of us? And the stakes couldn't be higher, so all I will say is choose wisely." The reaction so far from the low polling Democrats in the race who were not set to be on Tuesday's debate stage is victory, doubling down on staying in.
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