Democrats Fear Vote Split in California Gubernatorial Primary

In California's closely watched gubernatorial race, Democratic leaders expressed growing alarm as the June 2 primary approached, fearing that a fragmented field of over two dozen party candidates could split the vote and allow two Republicans to advance to the November general election under the state's top-two primary system. The contest, set to determine the successor to term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in the nation's most populous state, featured more than 50 candidates overall, with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton emerging as frontrunners in recent polls.

The top-two system places all candidates on a single ballot, advancing the two highest vote-getters regardless of party affiliation. This has heightened concerns among Democrats, who hold every statewide office and outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2-to-1. Polls from early February through March, including those by the Public Policy Institute of California and UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times, showed Bianco and Hilton each garnering 15 to 17 percent support, ahead of leading Democrats like Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter, and billionaire Tom Steyer, who polled...