California Democrats Face Uphill Battle in Governor's Race

With a crowded field and a quirky primary system, the party risks being shut out of the general election

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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California's unusual primary system, which allows the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation, has created a challenging situation for the state's Democratic Party. With eight credible Democratic candidates splitting the vote, polls show two Republicans leading the pack and potentially shutting out Democrats from the November ballot entirely. This has left the party scrambling to find a unifying strategy ahead of the state convention.

Why it matters

A Republican victory in the California governor's race would be a major upset in the deeply Democratic state, potentially shifting the balance of power in Sacramento. The primary system, implemented by a rogue Republican deal, has upended the traditional party dynamics and forced Democrats to rethink their approach.

The details

California's primary system, which was forced on the state legislature by a Republican deal, allows the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. With eight Democrats running and no clear frontrunner, polls show two Republicans leading the pack and potentially shutting out Democrats from the November ballot entirely. This has left the party scrambling to find a unifying strategy ahead of the state convention, as they grapple with the prospect of a Republican governor in the nation's most Democratic state.

  • The California primary election is scheduled for June 2026.
  • The state Democratic convention is taking place this weekend.

The players

Jesse Jackson

The late civil rights leader who ran for president twice to push the Democratic Party to the left.

Jane Kim

A Democratic candidate who won her party's primary for state Senate in 2016 but lost the general election to Scott Wiener due to the state's unusual primary system.

Scott Wiener

A Democratic state Senator who defeated Jane Kim in the 2016 general election after she had won the Democratic primary.

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What they’re saying

“I am not a naive fool in politics; I've been covering this business for more than 40 years. But I still have this deep belief that candidates for office who are part of a political movement need to ask themselves at times: Is it about me, or about us?”

— Tim Redmond, Author (48hills.org)

“He ran to build a movement that he said, repeatedly, was about all of us, not just about him.”

— Tim Redmond, Author (48hills.org)

What’s next

The state Democratic Party will need to devise a strategy at this weekend's convention to unite the crowded field of candidates and prevent a Republican from winning the governorship in the general election.

The takeaway

California's unusual primary system has created a challenging situation for the Democratic Party, forcing them to rethink their approach and find a way to overcome a divided field of candidates. The stakes are high, as a Republican victory in the governor's race would be a major upset in the deeply Democratic state.