“The contest to succeed Gavin Newsom in the nation’s biggest, bluest state is already turning bitter. And it’s still more than two years away,” Politico reports.
“California’s gubernatorial sweepstakes are well underway in a stampede for early blessings from powerful insiders, scheming among the growing field of contenders and hushed conversations with major donors.”
“The tortuous path to 2026 — when Newsom’s term ends — started last year and is among the longest-running electoral battles in America given the immense challenge of nurturing a statewide profile. It’s also a revealing snapshot of California in the 21st century: Candidates are engaged in a race to the left where all of the competition is in the Democratic Party, no political giants are lying in wait and none of the candidates have more than a regional base of support.”
