Sacramento, California– End of California Chaotic gubernatorial race It was approaching Saturday as the leading candidates rushed to make their closing arguments before voting ended on Tuesday.
Former US Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra He called for a “hot summer of efficiency,” touting his decades of public service as proof that he has what it takes to become California’s next governor.
Republican Steve Helton vowed to end “bloated state bureaucracy” during his remarks outside the state Capitol on Wednesday.
Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer He told reporters this week in Berkeley, California, that he has made it his life’s work to advance progressive causes, a mission he will carry to Sacramento.
They are seeking to stand out in a field that includes nearly 60 candidates on a single ballot, regardless of party, under California’s top two candidates. Statute. The two candidates with the most votes will compete in the general election to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot seek a third term.
The crowded race includes Democrats Becerra, Steyer and former U.S. Rep. katie porter, and Matt MahanMayor of San Jose. Hiltona former Fox News host supported by President Donald Trump, and the Riverside County Police Chief Chad Bianco They are the most prominent Republicans in the race.
As of Friday afternoon, 13% of voters had cast their ballots. That included 13% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans, according to a tracker of Democratic strategist Paul Mitchell. This breakdown is unusual because in recent years Democrats have tended to vote early while many Republicans wait until Election Day.
Some Democrats They’ve been waiting To cast their votes to see if a candidate has broken away from the group in recent days, or because they’re not impressed with the crowded field.
Two polls conducted in mid- to late May indicated that both Becerra and Hilton had the support of about 2 in 10 likely California voters. In one poll, Steyer was close behind Becerra and Hilton, with Bianco and Porter trailing further, but similar shares of voters were supporting Steyer, Bianco and Porter in the other poll. None of the other candidates were in the double digits in either poll.
Competitors travel across the state of nearly 23 million registered voters as they seek to best their rivals. Becerra, Hilton, Steyer and Bianco will all be in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend. Fresno and Los Angeles were also popular campaign stops.
Becerra highlighted his more than 35 years in state and federal offices.
“This is not a place for on-the-job training,” he said in a podcast hosted by political commentator Ana Navarro. “You better know what you’re doing.”
He will hold a text banking event with Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Francisco and meet with the Service Employees International Union in San Jose.
Hilton was promoting himself as someone who would attract the attention of state government, reduce regulation, and lower housing and energy costs. He told reporters this week in Sacramento that he believes it will be a unifying message.
“It’s not an ideology,” Hilton said. “It’s simple and practical – $3 of gas, cuts your electric bills in half.”
Hilton will host a town hall in Silicon Valley on Saturday night. He was careful not to emphasize Trump’s endorsement. If he advances to the November election, he will need to appeal to voters outside his party to win in the Democratic-controlled state that has not had a Republican governor since 2011.
Steyer, who describes himself as “a billionaire who wants to tax other billionaires,” said the race was a contest between three candidates: himself, Hilton and Becerra.
“There is a hard-right Republican supported by Donald Trump,” he told a crowd of supporters at a sports bar in Berkeley.
“The second candidate is Xavier Becerra, who, to my surprise, is a corporate Democrat,” Steyer continued, referring to his acceptance of campaign contributions from Chevron.
“And the third person is me,” he said. “And I’m running because Californians can’t afford to live here anymore.”
Steyer headed to a campaign rally Saturday in San Francisco to put a finer point on his message to voters.
Meanwhile, Mahan will mingle with voters in Los Angeles, Porter will speak in Orange County, and Bianco will pitch his vision at a church in San Jose.
___
Associated Press journalist Terry Chia in Berkeley, California, contributed to this report.