Axios · California · Joe Biden · Xavier Becerra · Axios
Zoom in: The chaos of the governor's race is matched only by the fury of the L.A. mayor's race
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The intrigue: Pratt's longshot campaign is riding a wave of viral momentum.
Key facts
- In the governor's race, no Democrat has emerged as a credible heir to Gov
- Republicans remain massive underdogs statewide, but they have a plausible path to qualifying for California's top-two general election
- The chaos of the governor's race is matched only by the fury of the L.A. mayor's race, where incumbent Karen Bass is fighting for political survival in the wake of last January's devastating fires
- The intrigue: Pratt's longshot campaign is riding a wave of viral momentum
Summary
LOS ANGELES, The two most consequential races in California have devolved into twin spectacles, with years of visible dysfunction hollowing out Democrats' case for competent leadership. But COVID and last year's catastrophic fires have transformed long-simmering frustration with California governance into a visceral public indictment of the people running the state, one now playing out in the races for governor and Los Angeles mayor. In the governor's race, no Democrat has emerged as a credible heir to Gov. Former Biden Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, polling at 4% as recently as April, is now the Democratic frontrunner after former Rep. Billionaire Tom Steyer is the unlikely progressive darling of the field, having spent at least $132 million of his own fortune to position himself as the most left-wing candidate in the race.