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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Dani Anguiano

California Democrats defy call from party to abandon crowded race: ‘Voters choose the next governor’

a man points while speaking into a microphone
The California Democratic party chair, Rusty Hicks, at the party’s state convention in San Francisco on 21 February 2026. Photograph: Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

One day after California’s Democratic party urged candidates without a “viable path” in the state’s crucial race for governor to drop out, the crowded field showed no sign of winnowing down.

At least nine Democrats are in the running to replace the outgoing governor, Gavin Newsom, with no clear frontrunner, which has fueled fears that the number of candidates could lead to two Republicans advancing to the November election.

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