California Democrats are showing signs of division as the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom grows increasingly crowded ahead of the June primary.
California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks is facing backlash from some candidates after publishing an open letter urging contenders to reconsider whether they should remain in the race if they do not have a viable path forward.
"If you do not have a viable path to make it to the general election, do not file to place your name on the ballot for the primary election," Hicks wrote in the letter.
The filing deadline for the race is Friday, March 6.
Democratic candidates in the 2026 California governor's raceThe letter quickly drew criticism from some Democratic candidates. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond responded in a video posted on X, claiming the message effectively pressures candidates of color to end their gubernatorial bid.
"Our political system is rigged," Thurmond said. "The California Democratic Party is essentially telling every candidate of color in the race for governor to drop out."
Hicks rejected that criticism, noting the letter did not name any specific candidate.
"I do find it interesting that Superintendent Thurmond decided to name himself when I didn't name a single candidate," Hicks said.
Former Assemblymember Ian Calderon also said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, saying he has already paid the filing fee and is continuing to gather signatures to qualify for the ballot.
"It's really hard to sit here and be told you should get out of the race when, OK, we're Democrats, I thought we believed in having choice," Calderon told CBS News Sacramento.
Concerns among Democratic leaders have grown as polling shows a wide-open field of candidates, raising the possibility that a split Democratic vote could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election under California's open primary system.
In the state's primary, the top two vote-getters move on to the November election regardless of party affiliation.
A February survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that conservative commentator Steve Hilton led with 14% support among likely voters, CBS News Los Angeles reported. Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter followed with 13%, while Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had 12%.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, a Democrat, also registered double-digit support in the poll, while 30% of voters backed other candidates and 10% said they remain undecided.
Party leaders say that fragmented support could create a scenario where two Republicans finish in the top two spots in June and advance to the general election.
Even Newsom acknowledged the concern during an interview Tuesday, saying he understood why Hicks sent the letter.
Despite the pressure, several Democratic candidates continue to move forward with their campaigns.
After Hicks' letter was published, Thurmond and former state controller Betty Yee filed paperwork to run on Tuesday. Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced his campaign would be filing on Wednesday.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan also said he does not plan to drop out of the race.
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