California Primary: Normie Democrats Prevail, Self-Funders Falter

California’s June 2 primary delivered a clear verdict: mainstream Democrats had a strong night, self-funded campaigns struggled, and former President Donald Trump’s influence remained potent even in the deep-blue state. In the governor’s race, Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton and longtime Democratic politician Xavier Becerra secured the top two spots to advance to the November general election.

Billionaire Tom Steyer, who spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on his populist campaign, finished a distant third. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

Steyer’s massive spending did not translate into a blowout, a result that surprised few. “It may sound facetious to say you can have too much money in a campaign, but the way these rich self-financing candidates spend their money becomes a liability,” said Garry South, a longtime California Democratic strategist.

“They wear out their welcome.” Other self-funded candidates also faltered: in Los Angeles, Zach Sokoloff spent $1 million—with millions more from his mother—in a failed bid to unseat the city controller, and Chakrabarti could not crack the top two in his race against state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.

Voters showed a preference for experienced, garden-variety Democrats. “What they want is a Democratic elected official who can go and fight Donald Trump,” said Andrew Sinclair, a Claremont McKenna political science professor.

Becerra, with his deep resume and limited baggage, fit that mold. “What’s your standard, out-of-the-box Democrat who you can get to fight Republicans?

Becerra is probably that guy,” Sinclair added. Most Democratic incumbents in Congress, including Mike Thompson, Brad Sherman, and Doris Matsui, fended off progressive challengers.

The top-two primary system, adopted in 2010 to reduce partisan gridlock, has not produced a general election race for governor with two Democrats. This year, the top two spots in the lieutenant governor and treasurer races are also Democrat vs.

Republican. The only exception is the insurance commissioner race, where two Democrats—Jane Kim and Sen.

Ben Allen—appear headed to November.

Early fears of a Republican shutout—where two GOP candidates would claim the top spots—did not materialize. Democratic voters rallied behind Becerra, and the party avoided the nightmare scenario.

However, several state legislators seeking higher office struggled: former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon sits in fourth place, Sen. Anna Caballero is a distant third in the treasurer race, and Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains trails in her congressional bid.

On the positive side, Sen. Ben Allen is second in the insurance race, and Sens.

Scott Wiener and Aisha Wahab easily won their congressional primaries.