Steve Morris: “The California gubernatorial race has huge stakes for the Democratic Party. The candidates don’t quite measure up.”

“Whatever else one might think, it’s hard not to feel like California’s gubernatorial field is smaller than the moment. Literally, in one sense — the candidates are unusually short for politicians. The field also lacks any of the A-list candidates many expected to jump in: former VP Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla, and state Attorney General Rob Bonta all passed on the race. The only incumbent statewide office holders, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and State Treasurer Fiona Ma, dropped out, as did the only incumbent member of Congress, the now disgraced ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell.”

“That’s left a field of unlikely contenders now battling to be the leader of the world’s fifth-largest economy, leading some to draw comparisons to the 1988 Democratic presidential field, which was labeled the ‘seven dwarfs,’ both for the candidates’ physical stature and their non-heavyweight status.”

“My sense of this was only reinforced when watching Tuesday’s debate, which was one of the candidates’ last high-profile appearances before the June 2nd primary.”

A new Emerson College poll of the California gubernatorial primary finds Steve Hilton (R) leading with 17%, followed by Chad Bianco (R) at 14%, Tom Steyer (D) at 14%, Xavier Becerra (D) at 10%, Katie Porter (D) at 10%, Matt Mahan (D) at 5% and 23% undecided.

“Rep. Eric Swalwell’s bid for the California governor’s office was reeling Friday as his campaign was cut off on the main Democratic fundraising platform and top Democratic supporters withdrew their endorsements and urged him to drop out of the race in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct,” CNN reports.

“Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she had told Swalwell to end his bid, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on him to drop out. California Sen. Adam Schiff and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, both longtime allies, said they were withdrawing their endorsements.”

Swalwell denied the allegations in a video: “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

Mark Barabak: Rumors, denials, then a pair of bombshells. And Eric Swalwell is suddenly on the ropes.

“The Trump administration’s interest in reviving a long-closed investigation into California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell could backfire against it — by elevating his profile and boosting his on-the-bubble California gubernatorial campaign,” Semafor reports.

Politico: “With a sprawling field threatening to split the vote and hand the governorship to a Republican, a late-hour effort failed to persuade longshot contenders to drop out. A preeminent labor group split its coveted endorsement four ways, elevating no one. And in the most recent upheaval, a televised debate was hastily canceled after an uproar from within the party that leaving out low-polling candidates of color would produce an all-white stage.”

Earlier for members: Crowded Field in California Opens the Door for Republicans

UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times Poll: “Despite a long, entrenched Democratic reign over California politics, a new poll shows two Republicans leading by slim margins in the state’s 2026 race for governor as the June primary election fast approaches.”

“The confounding results appear to be mostly due to the state’s left-leaning electorate feeling uninspired by any single candidate in the crowded field of eight top Democrats. Because of California’s top-two primary rule, that lethargy could lead to Democrats being shut out of a November election that will determine the next leader of the largest state in the union, though that is still considered unlikely.”

“When Eric Swalwell and Tom Steyer jumped into the California governor’s race, much of the political class rolled its eyes — two failed presidential hopefuls with seemingly thin bases and no track record statewide,” Politico reports.

“Three months later they’re surging, with poll after poll placing them among the top three Democrats in the race.”

“San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a former tech entrepreneur supported by influential Silicon Valley leaders, entered the race for California governor, seeking to channel voter frustration over homelessness and the country’s highest housing costs into a centrist challenge to the state’s liberal establishment,” Bloomberg reports.

“California Democrats have a math problem: They’ve added so many candidates in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom that two Republicans could end up winning the state’s quirky ‘jungle primary,’ shutting the Democrats out,” Politico reports.

“A Democratic wipeout is still unlikely. But the prospect of a humiliating pile-up, with no clear powerbroker to act as traffic cop, has put the state’s political class increasingly on edge with each new entrant into the field.”

Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer is the latest to enter the crowded race for California governor, Politico reports.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) “announced Tuesday that he will not run for California governor next year, ending months of speculation about the possibility of the Democrat vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Politico: “As California’s senior senator and a fixture in state politics, Padilla would have brought formidable assets to a governor race without a commanding front-runner.”

“In her first public comments since two viral videos surfaced last week showing her berating a staff member and belittling a news reporter, Katie Porter owned up to her missteps on Tuesday and said she was working to hold herself to a higher standard of conduct,” the New York Times reports.

“Katie Porter’s public-relations meltdown last week was damaging enough. What may be more humiliating is how few of her former House colleagues or Democratic leaders are rallying to her defense,” Politico reports.

“Much like her time on Capitol Hill, Porter, the frontrunner in the race for California governor, is on an island — still reeling from the fallout over a pair of viral videos that captured her on-camera outbursts with a staffer and reporter.”

“A newly surfaced video shows Katie Porter — the frontrunner in next year’s race for California governor — blasting a staffer who interrupted a meeting the former House member was taping for the Biden administration,” Politico reports.

Said Porter: “Get out of my fucking shot!”

In the video call, Porter also complained to Jennifer Granholm that she had not visited the White House despite raising a “shit ton” of money for then-President Joe Biden.

California Governor hopeful Katie Porter (D) had an absolute train wreck of an interview with CBS News Sacramento.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorsed former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in the 2026 California governor’s race, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-CA) potential gubernatorial run has injected a new variable into the Golden State’s political equation, and has “quickly gained traction with one group in particular: Sacramento insiders who have known Padilla for years and see him as someone they can work with,” Politico reports.

“The 2026 contest is California’s most competitive governor’s race in decades, and many Democrats are still searching for an alternative to former Rep. Katie Porter, who rose to prominence with her sharp questioning of corporate executives and government officials in Washington and is viewed by some as too progressive.”