Hallelujah! Dems finally tell weaker candidates to quit California governor’s race | Opinion
For months, California’s Democratic Party has been waiting for the ginormous field of candidates for governor to “naturally winnow.”
It has not. As of this writing, nine Democrats remain in the race, helping two Republicans to poll at or near the top.
Prognosticators insist there is only a slim chance that both Republicans will advance to the general election, yet Democrats’ nerves are fraying.
On Tuesday, Party Chair Rusty Hicks finally acted by issuing a directive via an open letter to candidates posted on the CADEM website.
Without naming names, he asks those who “do not have a viable path” to victory to refrain from placing their names on the ballot. That will require some quick decision-making, since Friday is the last day to file for office.
There is a second deadline for candidates who stay in the race but continue to lag behind.
“Be prepared to suspend your campaign and endorse another candidate on or before April 15th if your campaign cannot show meaningful progress towards winning the Primary Election,” Hicks warns.
One problem: Even if candidates suspend their campaigns, once they’ve filed, their names remain on the ballot no matter what. Then they become “zombie candidates” who have no chance to win, yet suck votes away from legitimate contenders.
‘Take a powder for the team,’ SLO County party chair pleads
For Democrats, this weird election has been one trial after another.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to be shoo-in, until she decided not to run. Same for U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla.
Former Rep. Katie Porter was poised to pick up the frontrunner’s mantle, but self-sabotaged when she melted down during a television interview.
She never quite regained her footing, though she remains among the leading Democrats.
Now we have nine reasonably well-qualified Democratic contenders, eight of whom have held a high-ranking position in government. The ninth, Tom Steyer, is a billionaire who has been heavily involved in Democratic causes.
Each has some level of support, making it tough for any single candidate to hold a comfortable lead.
So here we are, just two months away from early voting, with two Republicans — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News pundit Steve Hilton — often sitting atop the polls.
Faithful Democrats are about to lose it.
“The six basement dwellers — qualified as they may be — need to come to their senses, do the math and take a powder for the team,” Tom Fulks, chair of the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party, wrote on Substack.
Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell and Tom Steyer lead other Democrats
Until now, party leaders hoped the thinning of the herd would happen organically. At last month’s Democratic convention, for instance, Hicks told reporters the field would “naturally winnow itself.”
Hicks has avoided pointing fingers, perhaps because most party chairs don’t want to embarrass their candidates publicly. It’s also politically fraught for Hicks because Latino, Black and Asian candidates for governor are struggling in the poll and it’s typically struggling candidates who are the first to be encouraged to drop out.
Democrats are loath to alienate voters in those communities because recent elections have shown that Republicans have become more competitive in communities of color.
But there is a practical argument to be made here, not on race and ethnicity but on money, the lifeblood of politics. CalMatters reported that Tony Thurmond, superintendent of public instruction, raised only $181,000 in the second half of last year — less than some campaigns for state Assembly. Thurmond, who is Black, spent more than he raised last year. So did former state Controller, Betty Yee, who is Asian.
These are not easy conversations to have, but the California primary is almost upon us.
Leaving the race now is a tough call, but considering the alternative, it could be one of the most honorable choice some Democrats will ever make.
