Democratic leaders in California agree that speeding up the vote count would be nice. But they refuse to pursue any changes that would decrease voter access despite voter frustration with the slow trickle of results.

The endorsements come on the heels of Altwer winning the June primary election with 35.6% of the vote.

Why do so few California mayors become governor? San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan was a relatively late entry into the governor’s race but was widely expected to shake things up. The business-friendly, centrist (for California) Democrat reduced street homelessness in his city and tapped into the state’s post-pandemic retreat from criminal justice reforms. Tech billionaires like Sergey Brin and Steven Huffman, and more conventional billionaires like Rick Caruso, gave lavishly to committees backing him.

The ballot count is barely two-thirds complete, but that didn’t stop President Trump from jumping in to stir controversy and challenge the outcome, prompting multiple U.S. Department of Justice investigations in Los Angeles.

The June 4 totals, with an estimated 60% of the ballot counted, offered no mathematical or statistical reason to believe that third-place candidate Tom Steyer will be on the November runoff ballot.

As the counting progressed, the Becerra-Hilton battle settled into a steady pattern, as the pair widened their gap over Tom Steyer to nearly 300,000 votes.

Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer put up $216 million to fund his campaign for governor. All together, more than 200 candidates have contributed about a quarter billion dollars of their own money this year. 

The independent Emerson College poll of likely voters showed that Becerra, who was among the also-rans at 4% in early April, is now clearly leading the race for governor at 28%.

Billionaires, Big Oil and other interests spent big to influence the California governor’s race. Here are five key takeaways: Outside money shatters records. Mahan fizzles out. Steyer personal spending breaks records. Swalwell donors flock to Becerra. Republican Steve Hilton has the most donors.

Billionaire Tom Steyer is paying influencers to boost his $200 million California governor campaign. Some didn’t disclose it. A state law offers little accountability.

Democrat Tom Steyer faded and candidates Chad Bianco, Katie Porter and Matt Mahan were left in the dust in what the California Democratic Party called its final tracking poll from the California VOTER Index.

Polls released earlier this week showed some separation of three candidates – Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton – from the others, and the trio were on the receiving end of most of the barbs at the May 14 debate. 

The debate comes at a pivotal moment in the top-two primary campaign – as mail ballots are returned and new polls show the number of undecided voters are dwindling with less than three weeks until the official June 2 Election Day.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who was still polling at single digits last week, was spared most of the vitriol, but didn’t hesitate to criticize each of the other candidates at every opportunity.
His favorite debate target was Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra.

Primary ballots are in the mail to nearly 23 million registered California voters and the most recent statewide poll shows that 27 percent of the electorate are still undecided.

The Steyer brothers' relationship makes some advocates optimistic. Lawmakers and advocates for tech regulations said they expect Jim Steyer not to be shy about his policy views with his brother, candidate Tom Steyer.