Democrat Governor Candidate Starts Interview With Bizarre Demand
'I don’t know how you define profile'
California Democrats’ search for a front-runner: Polls show 26% of voters undecided in fast-approaching gubernatorial race
With just one month until California’s gubernatorial primary election, the latest polls show the race is still anyone’s game. The big question now is whether Democrats’ failure to rally their support behind a single candidate will result in a disaster for the party.
'The stakes are so incredibly high.'
California’s primary election operates on a nonpartisan basis. This means that the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Several polls have shown Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host and small business owner Steve Hilton — both Republicans — leading the pack. If California Democratic voters remain split in the primary, there is a chance that Bianco and Hilton could advance as the top two candidates to the general election.
A CBS poll conducted from Apr. 23 to 27 showed that 26% of California voters remain undecided. However, it revealed growing support for Democrats Tom Steyer, a climate advocate and businessman, and Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, who may be emerging as the Democratic Party's front-runners.
Fifteen percent of those polled said they would likely vote for Steyer, while 13% selected Becerra. Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter received 9% of the vote, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa received 4%, and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond received 1%.
The latest poll showed Hilton securing the most support, with 16% of the vote. Bianco trailed with 10%.
RELATED: Democrats narrow field in California’s crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster
Alternatively, a poll conducted over the same period by Gudelunas Strategies, sponsored by California Is Not For Sale, showed Becerra with a growing lead — nine points ahead of Steyer and one point ahead of Hilton.
Democrats started the primary with eight high-profile candidates. The field narrowed slightly after former State Controller Betty Yee and disgraced former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race.
RELATED: Democrats narrow field in California’s crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster
Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party, previously urged more Democrats to end their bid in hopes that a clear front-runner will emerge.
Hicks told the Guardian on Friday that the state's open primary "needs to be revised and repealed."
"The current system we have does not work," he said.
"The stakes are so incredibly high," Hicks continued. "We have democracy itself under attack, and the United States [is no longer] the beacon of hope for democracies around the world the way it once was."
California will begin sending mail-in ballots out to voters by May 4.
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Chad Bianco makes major play as California’s gubernatorial primary closes in
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate in California's gubernatorial race, invests in a new seven-figure television ad set to drop Wednesday, urging voters to cast their ballots for a strong leader.
'I'm running for governor because California needs a leader tough enough to stand up for us.'
"Typical politicians don't have the guts to tackle our big problems," Bianco said.
- YouTube
He pointed to his time as a sheriff, stating, "I've deported drug traffickers. I've locked up murderers and those who prey on our children and our seniors."
Bianco pledged to eliminate California's income tax, protect girls' sports, and put child sexual predators behind bars for life without parole.
"I'm Chad Bianco, and I'm running for governor because California needs a leader tough enough to stand up for us," he stated.
Bianco's top priorities for securing a safer, stronger California include addressing public safety, affordability, education, immigration, homelessness, and housing, among other issues.
"Chad Bianco is committed to restoring trust, protecting our communities, and creating opportunity for every Californian. From public safety to economic growth, his priorities put families first and focus on building a future where we can all thrive," Bianco's campaign website reads.
RELATED: Democrats narrow field in California’s crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster
The latest polling from the California Democratic Party showed Republicans Bianco and former Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton beating their Democratic opponents in the race.
Fourteen percent of those surveyed indicated they would vote for Bianco, while 16% said they would cast their ballot for Hilton.
RELATED: Republicans shine in first poll since Eric Swalwell stumbled out of California governor's race
Despite the withdrawal of two prominent candidates, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and former State Controller Betty Yee, the Democratic Party still lacks a clear front-runner in the crowded race. However, former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) has shown improvement in the polls. He secured only 4% of the vote in an April 5 poll but increased his support to 13% in the latest poll on April 17. Becerra appears to be tied with climate advocate and businessman Tom Steyer (D).
Many of those surveyed remain undecided.
California's primary election will be held on June 2, with the first mail-in ballots being sent out on May 4. The top two vote-earners, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election in November.
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Democrats narrow field in California’s crowded gubernatorial race to avoid primary disaster
California's crowded gubernatorial race is beginning to narrow, with former State Controller Betty Yee becoming the latest prominent Democrat to drop out, a sign that the party may be coalescing around a leading candidate to avoid disaster in the upcoming primary.
The California gubernatorial primary started with 61 official candidates in March, and approximately 20 have since dropped out.
'I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field.'
While two Republican front-runners have emerged, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton, Democrats have not yet rallied unified support behind any leading contenders for the upcoming election on June 2.
With Primary Election Day right around the corner, voters in the state will begin receiving mail-in ballots in two weeks.
California's primary election operates on a nonpartisan basis, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot, and the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
The nonpartisan election rules could spell trouble for Democrats if they cannot rally enough support behind a candidate to beat at least one of the top two Republicans competing to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has reached his term limit.
Democrats began the race with eight high-profile candidates: former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, climate advocate and businessman Tom Steyer, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California State Controller Betty Yee.
The Democratic field narrowed when Swalwell announced last week that he was suspending his campaign for governor and resigning from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations.
On Monday, Yee became the latest Democrat to drop out of the race, citing low polling results. She told local CBS affiliate KOVR that the Democratic Party had "for whatever reason decided to put money into a poll that would narrow the field" and that the results showed that "experience and competence was not polling as high as we thought when I first started this race."
"We're in this new era where it's kind of almost reality TV show mentality that people want," Yee told the news outlet. "And, frankly, conflict sells. That's what gets people's attention. I'm not a flashy person. I don't come with gimmicks. I even said and joked with my team one time, 'Maybe I just need to bring like a folding stool and throw it off the stage just to get some attention.' I mean, what's it gonna take, right?"
Yee stated that she plans to endorse one of the remaining candidates soon.
The California Democratic Party's poll showed voters leaning toward Republican candidates Hilton and Bianco. The highest-polling Democratic candidates were Becerra and Steyer. However, many of those surveyed stated they were still undecided.
RELATED: Republicans shine in first poll since Eric Swalwell stumbled out of California governor's race
Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party, compared the latest polling results to those from an April 7 poll.
Hicks stated that it showed Becerra had moved from 4% to 13%, with him "now tied for third with Tom Steyer." He also noted that the undecided rate had fallen from 24% to 20%.
"All of these are positive signs for ensuring a strong Democrat moves into the General Election. But it is not enough and our work is not done," he said.
Hicks addressed Yee's decision to drop out of the race.
"Earlier today, we saw Betty Yee suspend her campaign. I commend her leadership and commitment to California. And I hope other candidates will consider her example," Hicks added. "I continue to believe there are too many Democrats in the field."
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