Another Democrat exits crowded campaign for California governor

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another Democrat is exiting the crowded contest for California governor.

Betty Yee — a former state controller— announced Monday she was suspending her campaign, just over a week after fellow Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell left the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies.

Yee was vying to be the first woman to hold the state’s highest office. But she lagged in fundraising and failed to break into the leading tier of candidates in polling since entering the contest in 2024. In a fluid race that many voters have ignored, she tried to pitch herself as a candidate “who focuses on solutions rather than soundbites” or a levelheaded “boring Betty.”

None of it worked. And lacking funds for advertising — California has some of the most expensive media markets in the nation — there would be no way for her campaign to connect with voters across the vast state.

“It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there. Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on,” Yee said in an online news conference disclosing her decision.

Even with Yee out, the contest to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom remains crowded and unpredictable, with no clear leader. Yee’s withdrawal leaves six established Democrats and two leading Republicans on a ballot with more than 50 names.

Mail ballots are scheduled to go to voters in early May, in advance of the June 2 primary election. At this stage of the campaign, Yee's name cannot be removed.

Swalwell's exit reordered the race, since he was among the leading Democrats. Yee, however, had been frozen around the bottom of the field with scant voter support, so the impact of her departure will not be as significant.

Democrats have feared the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. That’s because California has a primary system in which only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Polling in late March and early April by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found a cluster of candidates in close competition: Democrats Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, and Swalwell. Other candidates were trailing. The polling was conducted before Swalwell withdrew.