California's governor's race just became a free-for-all. Eric Swalwell's abrupt exit from the contest—and from Congress—after sexual assault allegations has scrambled the June 2 primary, upending months of assumptions and sending his voters and donors into a spiral, reports the New York Times. Strategists describe "chaos" as Democrats recalibrate in a primary where only the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to November's general election. "This really tosses the table over," Sacramento State poli-sci professor Kim Nalder tells the Guardian. "You'll see some Democratic voters taking another look at candidates that maybe weren't at the top of their list."
With seven major Democrats still in and just two leading Republicans—including Trump-backed Steve Hilton—it's suddenly unclear which Democrat, if any, will end up on the fall ballot, per the Times. The most likely contenders: former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, both of whom had been closest to Swalwell in polls; Steyer quickly picked up the powerful California Teachers Association endorsement, which had previously gone to Swalwell. Tech money is rushing toward San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, though he remains viewed as too moderate by many in the party. Xavier Becerra, the state's former attorney general and ex-HHS secretary under President Biden, is seeing a spike in online interest, while former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is sharpening attacks to block Becerra's rise.
The AP notes that even though Swalwell has dropped out of the race, it's too late to take his name off the ballot. With mail ballots going out in early May and more than $156 million already spent, campaigns are racing to turn a scandal-driven jolt of attention into actual votes. "I just truly hope that the race can start crystallizing so that we can move forward," Scott Weiner, a Democratic state senator who's vying for Nancy Pelosi's seat in Congress, tells the Washington Post.
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