José Angel Gutiérrez ● California’s Gubernatorial Update ● Our Voices/Nuestras Voces

 

California’s Gubernatorial Update

José Angel Gutiérrez

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California voters are but a month away from Primary Election Day. There are 3 facts that complicate the election. Today is May 6th and voters began voting by mail yesterday. Yesterday was the last of the debates among the remaining 7 top candidates out of the total of 61. And, finally, the California method of Primary Election winners is unique. The ballot is not by partisan political party columns; all candidates are listed in one column with party affiliation after their name. For months, the national media was constantly pointing out that California could elect a Republican as Governor under their Primary election rules. For months the top two candidates were Republican, Steve Hilton and Chat Bianco, and polling higher than all others Democrats, Independents, Peace and Freedom and Green Party.:

After Pamela Harris decided against running for governor and Congressman Eric Swalwell was disgraced with sexual abuse allegations and also quit the race; both were Democrats. There have been several debates among the top candidates, sometimes 8 sometime 7. The last debate on May 6th had 7 candidates. The one dropped was Tony Turmond, the Democratic Party, State School Superintendent was only polling at 1%. He also was the only Black candidate.

A prior debate promoted by CBS and Nexstar prompted new polls based on those candidate performance. It showed Steve Hilton, R, leading with 16%; and in second place, Tom Steyer D. at 15%. The next two double digit in the polls candidates were Xavier Becerra, D, and Chad Bianco, R, with 13% and 10%, respectively. The last three candidates, all D’s, were still polling at 1 digit: Katie Porter with 9%, Antonio Villaraigosa at 4% , Matt Mahan also at 4%. With some 26% of the eligible voters polled reporting they were undecided.

Then came the debate on the 6th by CNN. This debate, like the most recent past one, was acrimonious, full of name-calling, constant interrupting, and candidates talking over each other. The moderators, two of them ,was an improvement over the 8 last time. The time given to the candidates to answer and rebut was also a bit longer at 60 seconds and 30 seconds,. The debate did go on for 2 hours as opposed to the others of 1 hour. Candidates moved somewhat in the

polls reported beginning the next day. Hilton, R, is still the leader with 19.1% of those polled. Steyer, D, is at 15.6% with Becerra, D, at his heels with 14.3%. Another poll shows Steyer and Becerra tied at 18%. The one who gained a bit after the CNN debate was Chad Bianco, R, who went up to 13%. The last two, Katie Porter, D, is at 9.2% and Matt Maham, D, is at bottom with 5.8%. Undecided voters are now at 12%.

At his writing, it appears that Hilton, R, and either Becerra or Steyer, both D’s, will be the top two voter getters out of the Primary election. The fear of an inevitable Republican governor for California is over. But, polling is one thing, actual voting is another. California voters, as mentioned above, have to find their candidate of choice among the 61 names listed over two pages of the ballot. The 12% undecided voters as of yesterday will also have to decide then find their candidate of choice in that long ballot.