How 8 Democrats could elect a Republican governor in California | Eastern NC Now

California has a "jungle primary" where all candidates of all parties compete in one primary and the top two, of whatever party go to the general election in the Fall.  This year that system may blow up on the Democrats.

Republicans offer two strong candidates, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Biance, and Steve Hilton, political commentator and naturalized US citizen who served as an advisor to former Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron.  Democrats have 8 candidates, most of them with solid followings.  The result is that polls have been showing that the top two candidates out of a jungle primary would be the two Republicans.  That would mean that the governor's office would go to one of them

California Democrats are worried.  The Democratic Party put the pressure on many of the eight to drop out before the filing deadline, but none did.

https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/opinion/how-eight-democrats-add-up-to-two-republicans/