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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles and Lauren Gambino in San Francisco

Can’t win? Drop out: California Democrats plead with governor hopefuls as party fears Republican surge

A man looks ahead in front of a US flag
Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, listens during a news conference in San Diego last month. Photograph: KC Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images

It’s been three decades since Democrats last had a wide open contest for the California governorship, one of the most visible and most powerful positions in the US. Instead of relishing in the competition of a crowded field, though, party leaders worry that the race to succeed Gavin Newsom could blow up in their faces.

On Tuesday, the state’s Democratic party chair, Rusty Hicks, wrote in an extraordinary open letter to the candidates: “If you do not have a viable path to make it to the general election, do not file to place your name on the ballot for the primary election.”

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