California Democrats gathered over the weekend for their 2026 state convention, where gubernatorial candidates vied for a party endorsement. None of them, however, secured a majority of the support to be the leading candidate.
Democratic candidates in the state have struggled to gain traction among voters, with at least nine top party members running for governor. Concerns have risen within the party about the possibility of the top two Republican candidates advancing through the jungle primary and onto the general election ballot. Many in the group hoped for an endorsement from delegates. (RELATED: GOP Frontrunner For Gov Floats Pathway To Citizenship — Sound Familiar?)
Democratic candidate for California Governor @katieporterca holds up a white board with a message that reads “FU*K TRUMP” at the @CA_Dem endorsing convention. pic.twitter.com/361YJ1UTPu
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) February 21, 2026
“We should not be competing to prove who hates Donald Trump the most. We should be fighting to make life better for middle class and working families.” — California gubernatorial candidate @MattMahanSJ, responding after several Democrats criticized President Donald Trump in their… pic.twitter.com/zdiHzDmSIg
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) February 23, 2026
“We should be fighting to make life better for middle class and working families,” Mahan told Wallace.
CA Democrat Convention [Screenshot/YouTube/FOX40]
Very long line inside the @CA_Dem convention as delegates wait to get into a lunch provided by @TomSteyer pic.twitter.com/ecr143s66c
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) February 21, 2026 " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">offered free lunch, with video footage showing a lengthy line for the meal. Despite the appeals to delegates, no candidate reached the 60% threshold required for the party’s endorsement. On Sunday, results showed Rep. Eric Swalwell receiving roughly 24% support, former California State Controller Betty Yee close behind at 17.3% and Biden’s former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra at an estimated 14%.The lack of an official party endorsement for a single candidate comes as multiple polls show the top GOP gubernatorial contenders, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, leading statewide.
On Wednesday, Emerson College Polling released a survey showing Hilton leading with 17% support, followed by Bianco and Swalwell tied at 14%. Porter trailed at 10%. The poll came just a day after Becerra’s campaign released a second poll conducted by Tavern Research that showed Bianco leading with 20% from supporters, followed by Hilton at 12% and Swalwell at 10%.
🚨Added the new Emerson poll, and adjusted https://t.co/oSD9xdrYyU so it defaults to considering polls that have been done in 2026, and the likelihood of no Dem in the runoff jumps to 18%.
— CA120 (@CA_120) February 18, 2026
Yes, 18% = "unlikely" - but it is uncomfortable. pic.twitter.com/8zQXf2E4SL
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