Betty Yee is out, and California's already tangled governor's race to replace Democrat Gavin Newsom just got a little less crowded. The former Democratic state controller ended her struggling campaign on Monday after consistently polling at the bottom and failing to raise significant money, a move that party leaders had been quietly pushing to avoid splitting the Democratic vote, per the New York Times. Her exit comes as Xavier Becerra, former state attorney general and health secretary under President Biden, is suddenly surging following Eric Swalwell's implosion over sexual assault allegations.
"We're living in a reality-TV era," Yee told reporters. "I got no gimmicks. I have no scandals." She also called the race "one of the most unusual, unpredictable, and unsettling races in modern California history," per NBC Los Angeles. Yee, who the AP notes labeled herself "boring Betty" during her campaign, had been trying to be the first woman to ascend to California's governorship.
Four recent polls cited by the Times put Becerra above 10% and in a top-tier cluster with Democrat billionaire Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter, even as two Republicans—ex-Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco—remain strong contenders. With California's top-two, all-party primary just weeks away and many voters still undecided, Democrats fear a scenario in which two Republicans advance to November in a deeply blue state.
Party Chair Rusty Hicks is openly urging weaker Democrats to follow Yee's lead and bow out, while Becerra beefs up his digital operation, Porter and Steyer rack up progressive endorsements, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan taps Silicon Valley donors in a race that remains wide open. The AP notes that there are more than 50 names in total on the ballot, and that it's too late for Yee's name to be removed. Newsom, widely rumored to be a 2028 presidential contender, is being forced to step down from the governor's seat due to term limits.
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