- By Patrick Hoge | Examiner staff writer
- Feb 23, 2026 (SFExaminer.com)
The California Democratic Party gathered in San Francisco over the weekend for a festival of political insiders, with plans to vote on whom to back in statewide elections.
But they ended up not settling on a candidate for governor or for several other top-of-the-ticket races in which Democrats were competing for endorsements.
As expected, given the eight Democratic gubernatorial candidates seeking the party’s imprimatur, nobody won the necessary 60% of the delegates’ votes at the California Democratic Party 2026 State Convention to secure an endorsement for chief executive of the state government. Current Governor Gavin Newsom is termed out in 2026, leaving an open field.
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a congressman from the East Bay who has been an energetic antagonist to President Donald Trump, led the pack with 571 votes, or 24% of delegate ballots cast. He quickly issued a statement thanking “California Democratic Party delegates for backing me to be California’s fighter and protector of working families” and looking “forward to uniting our party and leading us to victories across the state in November.”
The party’s display of indecision came just days after a new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey showed Republican Steve Hilton leading the gubernatorial field at 17%. Swalwell tied with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — another Republican — at 14%, and 21% of respondents said they were undecided.
The nightmarish spectre thus loomed for some of those filling the halls of Moscone Center that — however remote the possibility — there could be a Democratic lockout after the top-two primary on June 2 if the nine major Democratic candidates now in the race split the vote.
“We’re staring at what would be the possibility of the greatest ever California Democratic screw-up in history,” said Assemblymember Matt Haney, who represents the eastern half of The City.
There was “uneasiness” about the gubernatorial race, even as delegates were fired up about the prospects for fighting Trump and taking back control of Congress from Republicans, which were major themes of the gubernatorial-candidate speeches at the convention, Haney said.
“There was no candidate who everyone was talking about and was excited about, at least in the governor’s race,” said Haney, who has yet to endorse anyone for the state’s top job.
How much the weekend’s insidery proceedings will reflect or influence state voters is unclear. Former state controller Betty Yee clocked in at 1.8% in the Emerson poll — but she came in second place at the convention with 411 votes, or 17%.
Yee was followed by former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra with 14% of the votes, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer with 13%, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter with 9%, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond with just under 8%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villairagosa with 4.6%, and former Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon with less than 1%. About 8.5% of votes were to endorse no one.
Yee, a San Francisco native, hailed the voting results as a “shake-up” and a “major shift” in the governor’s race with her “underdog” campaign “overtaking most of the field.”
“I’m grateful to the party delegates who showed that working people still have the power to make change and that their votes must be earned — not bought,” Yee said in a press release.
Yee rejected concerns that California’s crowded field of Democratic candidates could end up splitting the vote, allowing a Republican candidate to be elected governor.
“There is no way California will elect a Republican Governor in 2026, no way, it’s simply not going to happen,” she said.
Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee said that Yee’s second place showing was likely a reflection of the recognition of her competence and qualifications, along with the high regard Yee enjoys in the state party — of which she was previously vice chair — rather than her electability, given her low showing in polls.
“The real question is going to be whether or not that translates into something like financial backing for her,” she said.
Money will be vital to communicating with voters because the state is so big, Tung said.
Yee’s campaign for governor had raised $1.8 million as of Jan. 25, according to the California Secretary of State’s website.
Haney expressed similar sentiments.
“People love Betty, but it hasn’t yet translated for her into competitive poll numbers or fundraising or endorsements,” Haney said.
Tung said that she thought it was “incumbent upon party leaders” to start having conversations with candidates “about whether or not their campaigns are viable” so Democrats don’t get frozen out.
“You can never say that it won’t happen, right?” Tung said of the potential for two Republicans to be the only ones left standing after the June primary.
One candidate not considered by delegates over the weekend was San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who jumped into the race on Jan. 29 — too late to be eligible for voting.
Mahan attracted attention by quickly collecting $7.3 million in campaign contributions as of Feb. 12, suggesting the possibility that he could effectively build name recognition and spread his moderate message of improving government effectiveness across the state.
“Obviously, Matt Mahan got in with a splash and a lot of money, and so it remains to be seen how that translates into support,” Haney said. “He’s got to introduce himself, still, to most of the state.”
The recent Emerson poll suggested Mahan has ground to cover, finding he got 3.4% support.
“Will he be able to lift his name ID, especially in Southern California?” asked Todd David, political director of Abundant SF. “I think that’s the open question of the governor’s race right now.”
Other top state races in which the convention did not produce party endorsements included:
- Lieutenant governor, for which current Treasurer Fiona Ma got 49%; former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs got 24%; and Josh Fryday, the chief service officer in Newsom’s administration, got 21%.
- Treasurer, for which current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis got 52%, state Sen. Anna Caballero got 35%, and state Board of Equalization member Tony Vasquez got 7%.
- Insurance commissioner, for which state Sen. Ben Allen got nearly 42%; former San Francisco supervisor Jane Kim got 40%; former state Sen. Steven Bradford got nearly 9%; and San Francisco financial analyst Patrick Wolff got 6%.
- Superintendent of public instruction, for which Los Angeles Community College District Trustee Nichelle Henderson got nearly 25%; state Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi got just under 22%; former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon got 17%; former state Sen. Josh Newman got close to 17%; and San Diego Board of Education President Richard Barrera got nearly 13%.
Delegates did award endorsements in several uncontested races to candidates seeking reelection, including Shirley Weber for secretary of state, former San Francisco supervisor Malia Cohen for state controller; and Rob Bonta for attorney general.
As expected, state Sen. Scott Wiener won the party’s endorsement in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi after he won more than 77% of the pre-endorsement balloting.
Haney said the lack of agreement on candidates in some contests showed the races were genuinely competitive, with some younger candidates bringing fresh energy.
“I think that’s a good thing,” he said.
Tung said such endorsements are nice to have, but lacking one will likely not be determinative.
“It doesn’t really move the needle,” she said.
Besides the politicking for statewide offices, Tung said the San Francisco County Central Committee used the weekend convention to publicize the policies the local party has supported since a moderate majority won election in March 2024, such as supporting public safety, housing construction and cutting burdensome government bureaucracy.
The organization also hosted a series of 15-minute fireside chats Friday at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California with all nine major Democratic gubernatorial candidates. On Saturday night, it hosted a party sponsored by Laborers International Union of North America and the newly renamed North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“We talk a lot about serious things during the convention,” Tung said. “I think part of developing relationships is also connecting on a less serious level, and just having some music, some food and drink and making sure that people are leaving San Francisco also having had some fun.”
