Too many Democrats in primary could secure Republican win for governor
The 2026 California primary election for governor is approaching and there is a chance two Republican candidates could be on the ballot in November. Due to a law passed in 2011 called the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running in the election, regardless of their political party, will be on your ballot in the upcoming primary vote on June 2.
The 2026 California Voter Index by Evitarus, a poll commissioned by the California Democratic Party, reported as of April 17, that the two most prominent candidates are Republican — Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco and Fox News contributor Steven Hilton. With Hilton polling at 16% and Bianco at 14%, they are polling the highest among all the candidates.
The same poll reports six prominent Democrats all hold less than 15 points each: Tom Steyer 13%, Xavier Becerra 13%, Katie Porter 10%, Matt Mahan 5%, Antonio Villaraigosa 2%, and Tony Thurmond 1%.
The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act states that only the two most-voted candidates in the June primary can be on the November ballot. It also excludes any write-ins. Right now the many Democratic candidates are splitting the party vote. There is a chance that one of the two Republicans could secure the governor’s office for the first time in 15 years.
This has caused concern among many Democrats locally in Humboldt County. Mario Fernandez, the chair for the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC) expressed frustration with the candidates.
“For us up here, we’ve only had one candidate visit us in person, and that was Betty Yee,” Fernandez said. “They reached out to all of us, but nobody made a goddamn effort to come up here or even hold a virtual town hall or forum.”
Yee dropped out of the governor’s race on April 20.
Chris Will, a voting member of the HCDCC recommended that students who are registered to vote in their home counties do so, as Humboldt leans heavily Democratic. Will suggested, if the voter is a registered Democrat, to vote in their home county, but to change their mailing address to Humboldt so that they can still receive their mailed ballot.
El Leñador reached out to the Humboldt County Republican Party several times and received no response by publication.
El Leñador talked to students and faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt and found that many weren’t aware of who is running but do intend to vote. Student Rafael Gomez expressed his feelings on the election and American politics more broadly.
“This state and this nation is very much controlled, you know. Right wing, left wing, same bird. You can be anti-Trump but you can’t be anti-war,” Gomez said. “I really do hope that within my lifetime, maybe the next couple decades, that we transition to a different political reality and do away with the Democrats and Republicans and instead get something that represents the people.”
