California’s Governor Race Hits Primary Panic and Scandal Echoes
Saturday, May 2, 2026 · 6 min
California’s unsettled governor’s race is being pulled between process panic and trust problems: Democrats are suddenly worried the top-two primary could backfire, while Becerra faces fresh scrutiny over campaign allies and rivals struggle to break through.
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California’s unsettled governor’s race is being pulled between process panic and trust problems: Democrats are suddenly worried the top-two primary could backfire, while Becerra faces fresh scrutiny over campaign allies and rivals struggle to break through.
In this episode
- Political firm with ties to people accused of stealing from Xavier Becerra is supporting his bid for governor — Ashley Zavala
# Political firm tied to people accused of stealing from Xavier Becerra support his governor bid Published: 2026-05-01T02:13:00+00:00 Author: Ashley Zavala ## Summary Bearstar Strategies, a political firm linked to individuals accused of stealing campaign funds from Xavier Becerra, is now supporting his bid for California governor. The firm, which was listed as part of The Collaborative,…
- Top California Democrat urges change to ‘free-for-all’ primary to keep governor’s mansion blue — The Guardian
# Top California Democrat urges change to ‘free-for-all’ primary to keep governor’s mansion blue Published: 2026-05-01T13:00:03+00:00 ## Summary The chair of the California Democratic party, Rusty Hicks, has called for a change to the state's "open primary" system, which allows voters to choose any candidate and the top two vote-winners advance regardless of party. Hicks argues that the…
“No, sorry what needs to happen is the underperforming, have zero chance Democrats like Mahan and Villaraigosa need to drop out so that serious candidates can consolidate support. Both are at 4% as of the last poll, and if Dems get locked out, it'll be because these two are too…” — r/politics (10 upvotes)
Our take: We get the frustration: if low-polling Democrats stay in and split the field, that is not an abstract civics problem, it is a campaign-management problem. The accusation about Mahan’s funders is sharper than the evidence here, but the larger point is real — candidates polling at four percent do not get to pretend they are innocent bystanders.
“They need to change the jungle primary to be Approval Voting. Approval voting lets people vote for multiple candidates, and the two candidates with the most votes can advance to the general election. This turns the question into, “who would you be okay with winning?” and it can…” — r/politics (25 upvotes)
Our take: Approval voting is a serious answer to the top-two problem because it lets voters say who is acceptable, not just who is first choice. Also, yes, if the math nerds have stress-tested your election system, that is at least a better credential than 'we jammed this into a budget deal.'
“It's almost like they want Rank-Choice Voting.” — r/politics (15 upvotes)
Our take: Pretty much. California keeps discovering the same thing in different packaging: when a crowded field meets a plurality system, voters want some way to rank preferences instead of playing electoral chicken.
- From the desk of…Another televised debate, another missed chance to clear up California’s unsettled governor’s race – The Ukiah Daily Journal — The Ukiah Daily Journal
From the desk of…Another televised debate, another missed chance to clear up California’s unsettled governor’s race – The Ukiah Daily Journal Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That old question pretty much sums up what was billed as a 90-minute debate among the eight serious — at least in their own minds — candidates for governor Tuesday…
- ‘We’re Gonna Get ICE Out of the State’: California Governor Candidate Butch Ware Faces Backlash Over ICE Threat | The Nerd Stash — The Nerd Stash
‘We’re Gonna Get ICE Out of the State’: California Governor Candidate Butch Ware Faces Backlash Over ICE Threat | The Nerd Stash Close Menu Image Source: @ButchWare via X Gubernatorial candidate Butch Ware has come under fire for his recent statement promising to make California ICE-free if he’s elected into office. Ware made the remarks in a video shared to his official account on X on…