In the crowded race in California to succeed Newsom, Democrats are ignoring their options

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The crowded race for California governor has left many Democrats in the state grappling with who to vote for in the race’s closing days.

Although voting began in early May ahead of the June 2 primary, Democrats returned their votes at a slower pace than usual after a chaotic campaign full of surprises. Unlike recent gubernatorial races, there was no clear frontrunner or political superstar (think Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger or Democrat Jerry Brown).

Read more: California’s gubernatorial candidates are locked in a tense debate as mail-in voting has already begun

“I’m kind of holding my nose and voting for this move instead of getting excited,” said Colin Culver, a 21-year-old San Diego resident who ultimately voted for Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager turned climate activist.

Democrats were particularly puzzled given the state’s primary system, which puts all candidates on one ballot regardless of party. There are nearly 60 candidates vying to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. They include six top Democrats and only two top Republicans.

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With a large number of Democrats running, party leaders have feared for months that two prominent Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Helton, could advance, alienating Democrats. That scenario became less likely after former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race after being accused of sexual assault, but the scandal has rattled wary Democrats. President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton in April, which may have gathered GOP support behind him and reduced the odds of a Republican upset in a state that has not had a Republican governor since 2011.

But fear still exists among voters. Some Democrats are waiting to cast ballots to see if a candidate breaks from the group in recent days, relying on polling to help make their decision. Others had difficulty making their decision, reluctantly choosing a candidate after not liking the field.

Voters are returning their ballots later than usual

Even Democrats who typically have high turnout in primaries — often older white voters — were slow to drop their votes, said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist who tracks polling results.

“My joke is: Call your Democratic parents and ask them to turn in their ballots,” he said. “They’re holding on to the ballot because they’ve seen this kind of topsy-turvy gubernatorial race. They’re waiting to make sure they make the right choice.”

About 11% of the state’s nearly 23 million voters had voted as of Wednesday night, according to Mitchell’s tracker. This includes about 15% of Republicans, 11% of Democrats, and 8% of registered voters with no party or any other. This breakdown is unusual because in recent years Democrats have tended to vote early while many Republicans wait until Election Day.

Democrats alternate candidates

Former state Attorney General and federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and Steyer are among top Democratic voters weighing in.

A poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California in mid-May found that both Becerra and Hilton had the support of about 2 in 10 likely California primary voters. Steyer, Bianco and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter each received support from between 10% and 15% of likely voters in the poll. There were no other candidates voting in double numbers.

Support for Becerra has risen from just 5% in a PPIC poll in late March and early April, when Swalwell was still in the race.

Some voters don’t rely on the ballot box to make their decision. Among them is San Francisco native Mary O’Neill, who voted for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa because she admired his record leading the city from 2005 to 2013. Although he was on the debate stages, he failed to generate significant support.

Alexa Duran, 22, a Fresno native and recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, said she leans toward Becerra, despite her concerns about his refusal as prosecutor to investigate the 2020 killing of a Latino man by an officer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I know he has a lot of political experience, but I’m not sure if he’s the right candidate,” Duran said.

David Murayama, a 29-year-old lawyer in Los Angeles, said that although Steyer was initially a candidate for the appeal, he felt like he couldn’t trust a billionaire to keep his promises. He added that he ended up voting for Becerra, a candidate he considered “the lesser of two evils.”

Amber Larson, 41, a state judicial analyst who lives in Chico, likes Ramsey Robinson, the Socialist candidate. But she said casting her vote for him would be a “waste” due to his slim odds.

She doesn’t want to support the old politician – Becerra – and is suspicious of the billionaires – Steyer.

“Have we reached a point where only a billionaire can beat a corporation or a career politician?” Larson said, referring to Steyer spending millions to largely self-fund his campaign.

She planned to go with Steyer anyway because she likes energy affordability plans and because he’s one of the leading candidates.

“I don’t want to waste my voice,” she said.

Associated Press journalists Jamie Deng in Los Angeles and Terry Chia in San Francisco contributed to this report.