A messy California governor's race raises Democratic fears of potential loss
Steve Hilton speaks during the California gubernatorial candidate debate, Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democrats have run California for years, but in a nationally critical election the party is being confronted by the limits of its own power: the race for governor is out of control.
Barely a month before the start of mail-in voting, Democratic leaders are openly dreading the possible loss of a statewide election for the first time in two decades. As candidates jockey in a crowded field, the contest has degenerated into finger-pointing over debate eligibility, identity politics and 2025 ballot counting, issues distant from voters struggling with the soaring cost of gas and groceries.
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