By Tanu Henry, California Black Media
California Democratic Party (CADEM) delegates arrived in San Francisco this past weekend for a tense endorsement fight to determine who the party will back in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.
They also got a history lesson.
Breaking with a tradition stretching back more than half a century, the party could not endorse a candidate for governor at its 2026 state convention — a striking signal that the governor’s race this year is open and fragmented.
“Our threshold for endorsement is 60%. It’s unlikely we’ll get to an endorsement,” said party chair Rusty Hicks from the convention floor. He was right. No candidate came close. Preliminary delegate preference results showed U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell leading with roughly 24% support, followed by former State Controller Betty Yee and former U.S. Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
The non-endorsement is a major development in a state where party backing has historically served as a powerful organizing tool ahead of the June 2 primary.
Public polling reflects the same disorder. A February 2026 Emerson College/Inside California Politics survey shows Republican commentator Steve Hilton leading at 17%, with Swalwell and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco tied at 14%, former Rep. Katie Porter at 10%, and Tom Steyer, a former presidential candidate and climate activist, at 9%. A striking 21% remain undecided.
Dr. Shakari Byerly, managing Partner of EVITARUS, a public opinion research and strategic consulting firm, said candidate’s perspectives on a number of issues will influence how Californians vote.
“Black Californians, like all Californians, are highly concerned about issues related to affordability, particularly housing affordability and issues of economic opportunity,” said Byerly.
“For example, in recent polling EVITARUS conducted on behalf of the Urban League of the Greater San Francisco, Black residents identified housing affordability and home ownership; addressing homelessness; and inflation and the cost of living as the top issues they would like state and local leaders to address.”
On the campaign trail, candidates are sharpening their pitches. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has centered his campaign around public education and support for working families. Swalwell is leaning into national security credentials and party unity. Steyer continues to champion bold climate policy and economic reform.
California’s top-two-primary system adds further unpredictability. All candidates share a single ballot, and only the top two advances to November regardless of party. In a fractured Democratic field, that creates a real opening for a Republican like Hilton or Bianco to claim one of the two general election slots.
California Black Media has been meeting directly with candidates on these issues and will publish an ongoing series giving readers access to each contender’s plans. Over the next several weeks we will release Q&As starting with two candidates. These will come in no particular order.
The party’s non-endorsement is more than a procedural footnote. It signals that this cycle, grassroots organizing and coalition-building will matter more than insider nods and backing of the party. With one-fifth of voters still undecided, California voters — not convention delegates — will choose who carries the Democratic banner into November.
For the first time in decades, they’ll do it without a script.
About the Author
Tanu Henry is the managing editor of California Black Media.