Californians witnessed the most interesting gubernatorial matchup in decades given that, without any A-listers on the ballot, no one was Gov. Gavin Newsom's anointed successor. With Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out following sexual-related allegations, billionaire Tom Steyer spending $200 million, and the possibility, however slight, of Republicans capturing both general-election spots, the race was tailor-made for journalists and pundits.
At the end of the day, the top-two system, which pits candidates from all parties in a jungle primary, resulted in a final choice between establishment-backed candidates that a partisan primary might have yielded. Others can assess the pluses and minuses of Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, but the head-scratcher is the collapse of Matt Mahan. Well, collapse is too strong. One needs to gain momentum before losing it. He was never a serious contender and has under 4 percent of the vote.
