Crowded California governor's race tests limits of state's top‑two system as primary draws near

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Former State Controller Betty Yee's exit from California's already crowded governor's race -- and her subsequent endorsement of Tom Steyer -- is reigniting a long-running debate over whether the state's top-two primary system is narrowing the field too early and reshaping political decision-making behind the scenes.

Yee, a San Francisco Democrat with decades in public office, argued that her campaign faltered, not because of a lack of grassroots support, but because a system driven by polling and perceived viability made it difficult for lower-profile candidates to break through.

In a virtual press conference Monday, Yee said her past "robust" support from donors and labor unions was not as strong in her campaign for governor.

"Competence and experience was not going to help us win this," Yee said. "I wanted to really bring my experience and passion to elevate California, all Californians, but certainly for my community. I did not see them as I had robustly in the past with respect to my donors."

Her departure comes amid rapid movement in a race that, until recently, was failing to capture the attention of voters.

MORE: Democrat Betty Yee drops out of race for California governor

Many polls had been showing the two top Republicans leading the field, stoking fears among Democrats that the November ballot could shut the party out entirely. That scenario intensified pressure on lower-polling Democrats to drop out and consolidate support.

The dynamic was further upended when Eric Swalwell -- who recently began leading the Democratic field -- ended his campaign amid scandal, triggering what political observers describe as a scramble among donors, labor unions and party leaders to coalesce around candidates seen as viable.

Yee said polling has increasingly dictated those decisions.

"When you have polls that are solely for the purpose of narrowing the field, and you're in single digits, and every subsequent poll shows that you're in single digits, that also has an effect on donors about your viability," she said.

The churn has refocused attention on California's top-two primary system, which places all candidates on a single ballot and sends only the two highest vote-getters to the general election, regardless of party.

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Supporters say the system encourages moderation; critics argue it amplifies the influence of money, polling and early momentum.

"There's a lot of things wrong with a political system that doesn't reward someone like Betty," said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at UC Berkeley and USC. "But I don't know that the top-two primary had much to do with her fate in this election."

He said the system was created with a different goal in mind.

"The top-two primary system was created in order to try to strengthen the political center in state politics," he said.

Still, in a race with multiple Democrats competing for limited oxygen, strategists say consolidation is unavoidable. Following Swalwell's exit, many expected his supporters to migrate toward candidates already polling well.

MORE: Xavier Becerra gains massive jump in new CA governor's race poll after Swalwell exit

"Most people who looked at this race when Swalwell exited, they expected Steyer and Katie Porter, who in recent polling had shown to kind of be the second choice of most of the Swalwell voters. They expected those candidates to really kind of pop up in their numbers," said Paul Mitchell, a longtime California political consultant.

These shifts have lifted former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the polls, even though he had struggled to break through single digits in recent polling.

"And this Becerra surge is something that I don't think anybody really had on their radar," Mitchell said.

Even with Becerra's rise, political observers say the race remains unsettled. Several candidates continue to poll in the single digits, and the same forces that accelerated Yee's exit -- shifting polls, donor behavior and fears of a Republican lockout -- remain in play.

For now, Yee's criticism has added fuel to a broader question hovering over the contest: whether California's top-two system is merely reflecting political reality or helping to shape it.

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who has called on lower-polling candidates to drop out, told reporters on Monday that Yee was respected within the party and participated fully in its endorsement process, which failed to produce a consensus choice.

"As I've been clear, I've not called on any specific candidate to step back from their candidacy. I've simply made it clear that every candidate has a responsibility to honestly assess the viability of their campaign," he said.

Despite their exits from the race, both Swalwell and Yee's names will remain on the ballot, as the deadline for qualification has passed. Eligible California voters will start receiving mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary in two weeks.