Gavin Newsom succession race jolts California Democrats as chair urges weak candidates to drop out
gavin newsom is at the center of a growing Democratic scramble in California, as party leaders warn the crowded race to replace the term-limited governor could backfire under the state’s top-two primary system. On Tuesday, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks issued an open letter telling candidates without “a viable path” to the general election not to file for the June 2 primary ballot. The warning lands with the filing deadline set for Friday, and with Democrats openly anxious that a fractured field could open the door to Republicans in November.
Rusty Hicks issues rare public plea as filing deadline closes in
In his letter released Tuesday, Hicks urged candidates to “honestly assess the viability” of their campaigns and step aside if they cannot realistically advance. He also called on those who still choose to file to be prepared to suspend their campaigns and endorse another candidate by April 15 if they fail to show “meaningful progress” in the coming weeks.
The core fear is procedural but consequential: California uses a “jungle” or top-two primary, meaning all candidates compete on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. Hicks warned the dynamic could “lock out” Democrats from the November ballot in a state widely viewed as solidly blue.
Hicks acknowledged the probability of a Democratic lockout is “relatively low, ” but he stressed it is “not impossible” and argued the party has a duty to act responsibly given what he described as the stakes for Democrats nationally.
Gavin Newsom race draws sharp reactions from candidates and party leaders
Within hours of the letter’s release, two Democrats who have been low in recent opinion polling, former state Controller Betty Yee and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, officially filed papers to run for governor.
Thurmond responded publicly with a video message, accusing party leadership of pushing candidates of color out of the contest. “Bernie Sanders was right. Our political system is rigged, corrupted by the political elites, the wealthy and well connected, ” Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, said in the video. He added that the party was “essentially telling every person of color in the race for Governor to drop out, ” and argued party leaders favored “three flawed white candidates” — Tom Steyer, Eric Swalwell, and Katie Porter.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also seized on Hicks’ letter, using it to call for former U. S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to drop out. Villaraigosa’s campaign argued that the “best way to avoid Republicans taking the top two spots in the runoff” is for Becerra to exit. Becerra, who plans to file paperwork on Wednesday, shot back by mocking Villaraigosa for never winning a statewide election despite multiple attempts.
National Democrats are watching, too. Ken Martin, the party’s national chair, said party officials have been urging less viable candidates to step aside, saying, “We do have to just make sure that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot. ”
Why Democrats fear a GOP lockout under the top-two system
Under the top-two rules, Democrats worry their vote could splinter among nine major Democratic candidates, letting two Republicans finish first and second in the June 2 primary and advance to November. Hicks has warned such an outcome could depress Democratic turnout and threaten other races.
Polling has fueled the unease. Two recent polls showed Republican Steve Hilton leading the race, with Republican Chad Bianco close behind in third place. At the same time, at least three Democrats have been performing strongly: Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, and Eric Swalwell, but none has clearly broken away. An Emerson College poll put the top five candidates within eight percentage points of each other, while the Public Policy Institute of California survey had the top contenders within four percentage points.
Quick context: crowded field, high stakes, and a calendar that is tightening
California has not had a wide-open Democratic contest for governor in three decades, and the race to succeed gavin newsom is unfolding under a primary system that can produce unexpected general-election matchups. Hicks argues the party cannot afford internal division at a moment when Democrats are focused on national political fights with President Donald Trump in the White House.
What’s next as Friday’s filing deadline approaches
The immediate test will be who files by Friday and whether any candidates heed Hicks’ request to stand down before their names appear on the June 2 primary ballot. After that, attention will shift to whether campaigns consolidate by April 15, the date Hicks set for candidates to consider suspending their runs and endorsing another contender if they fail to show traction. For now, Democrats are entering the final stretch before the primary with open tension between party leadership and candidates — and the succession fight tied to gavin newsom only appears to be intensifying.
