By New York Post (Opinion) | Created at 2026-06-01 02:00:38 | Updated at 2026-06-07 18:17:43
6 days ago
California voters can register to vote as “No Party Preference.” But in the 2026 race for governor, Democrats seem to have registered as “No Candidate Preference.”
Outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom did not cultivate a successor. And for months, there was no favorite among the many Democrats vying to replace him.
Even now, it’s not clear who the Democrats’ frontrunner is. It could be Xaivier Becerra, whom the consultants and the media plucked from the bottom of the pile. It could be Tom Steyer, who has spent — or perhaps wasted — $200 million to buy attention.
Most of the candidates were notable only for their flaws.
Katie Porter: Too angry.
Eric Swalwell: Too creepy.
Matt Mahan: Too tardy.
None showed any charisma, or introduced any new ideas.
Worse, all of them support policies that voters hate — even in deep-blue California.
To a one, the Democrat candidates want to keep allowing biological males to compete in high school girls’ sports. And they want to keep funding the failed high-speed rail project.
No wonder Democrats are less than enthusiastic about voting in California’s primaries. The early data showed they were very slow to return their mail-in ballots — while Republicans, who are supposed to be in retreat, were voting at a rapid clip.
What’s going on?
Two things.
One has to do with Newsom.
In 2018, with Jerry Brown — a California institution — retiring, Newsom was the heir apparent. But he faced a strong primary challenge from former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (who is running again).
Villaraigosa’s campaign wasn’t about policies. It was an effort by the Southern California wing of the Democratic Party to assert itself.
Angelenos were tired of being used as voting fodder by the San Francisco political elite. And Latino voters were sick of being taken for granted.
Villaraigosa came up short. Newsom strolled to victory past self-funding Republican businessman John Cox. But he was a weak incumbent from the beginning of his term.
The worst-kept secret in Sacramento was that despite his superficial charm, no one really liked working with him.
Newsom seemed incapable of getting anything done. He operated in half-measures.
He canceled the high-speed rail — sort of, then kept it going in the Central Valley. He canceled one of Jerry Brown’s twin Delta water tunnels — then never built either of them.
The one thing he was adamant about was COVID restrictions — no school, no worship, no restaurants.
Then he dined with his lobbyist friends at the French Laundry.
For that, Newsom drew a recall challenge. And he deserved it.
But he survived by doing the one thing he does best: making Donald Trump, and Republicans, the enemy.
That’s the second great force shaping this election: Trump, or rather, “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The race to replace Newsom has largely been a contest among Democrats to see who hates Trump the most.
They think their party base likes that — and maybe it does — but the rage Olympics have erased any distinction among them.
The clamor against Trump has also suppressed any discussion of real solutions to California’s many problems.
All the good ideas have come from the Republicans — especially Steve Hilton. His proposal to end state taxes for incomes under $100,000 per year was so compelling that Katie Porter simply copied it.
This ought to be a change election. And for Republicans, it is. They want to change California’s policies.
For Democrats, it’s also a change election. They want to change Trump.
But he’s not on the ballot.
Not one of the Democrats has offered a vision of California other than the status quo.
No wonder their own voters are bored.
Joel Pollak is the Opinion editor of the California Post.
