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Over the last half-century or so, California has had six elections for governor when the office was being vacated.
Understandably, such incumbent-free elections to run the nation’s most populous and economically powerful state have drawn serious candidates, mostly holders of other high-profile offices who declared themselves as soon as decorum would allow.
When, for example, Republican Ronald Reagan’s two terms as governor were ending in 1974, the Democratic secretary of state, Jerry Brown, narrowly defeated the Republican state controller, Houston Flournoy.
This bit of political history is offered because the end of Gavin Newsom’s governorship is approaching rapidly. In scarcely a year, California voters will choose a new governor. The June 2 primary, which will determine the two finalists, is just eight months away.
Yet the field of would-be governors remains very unsettled.
For months voters, political media and potential campaign financiers waited for former Vice President Kamala Harris to decide whether, after losing the presidency to Donald Trump, she would seek the governorship.
Harris finally said no, with a rather odd remark: “I don’t want to go back in the system. I think it’s broken.” She may have been referring to national politics, but since the issue was California’s governorship, she could also have been implying the state was broken after many years of dominance by her Democratic Party.
Harris’ decision, whatever her motives, did not settle the question about who will be running for governor next year. There are declared candidates, of course, but none scores very high in preliminary polling.
Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis had been one of the first to declare her candidacy but shortly after Harris announced her decision, Kounalakis dropped out, opting instead to run for state treasurer.
With those two out of the picture, former Congresswoman Katie Porter became the frontrunner, more or less by default, but with underwhelming support — 17% in a poll by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, released in late August. Her standing may have reflected nothing more than name recognition from her losing campaign for U.S. senator last year.
Gee do you think that the lack of support for the Radical Socialist Party new headed by Slick Newsom, and the geriatric and outdated radicals is because they are now literally outdated?
Think that years of $Billion Dollar deficits and more and more middle class producers fleeing the State for other places to live and work is the problem.
It used to be living in Calif. was interesting at the least. Now it is dangerous and destructive to independence let alone your ability to make a living.
You voted for them, and they have now morphed into the radical Socialist Party.