"So far, the open seat with no obvious successor has drawn the likes of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Assemblymember Ian Calderon, former state Controller Betty Yee, former Orange County U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, former state Attorney General Xavior Becerra, state Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco."
"For a while, the polling leader was former Vice President Kamala Harris, the former U.S. Senator who dropped out after months of considering a run. She was the first candidate to self-destruct, when her September book belittled and griped about major national Democratic figures like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Newsom and even her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz."
"Soon after, Porter - the early leader in most gubernatorial polls - was videotaped snapping at a CBS News reporter who asked tough questions and threatening to end their interview. Another tape quickly emerged revealing her as a boss screaming at an aide. Her behavior forced her to apologize and will hurt her polls standing. These episodes revealed two inept politicos harming themselves, but the episodes cannot match the incompetence demonstrated by current poll leader Hilton."
A crowded California gubernatorial field includes numerous former officials and contenders from varied backgrounds. Several leading hopefuls have suffered high-profile missteps that undermined their campaigns. A former vice president retreated after a book criticized prominent Democrats, eroding momentum. An early front-runner was caught on video snapping at a reporter and shouting at an aide, prompting an apology and poll damage. Another leading contender displayed campaign incompetence around a major state highway shutdown. Surveys still identify potential favorites waiting to enter, leaving the race unsettled amid repeated self-inflicted setbacks.
Read at The Mercury News
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