In a race in which candidates from all parties run in the same primary, Democrats have raised concerns the crowded field could prevent them from appearing on the November ballot.
The leader of the California Democratic Party on Tuesday called on candidates who “do not have a viable path” to the general election to drop out of the state’s crowded gubernatorial race.
In an open letter, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks said the lengthy list of candidates in a race that uses a “jungle primary” system — where candidates from all parties compete in the same primary and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election — could risk “locking out” any Democrat from the November ballot in the solidly blue state.
Hicks said that possibility could lower turnout in the state for races that are critical to Democrats’ efforts to win control of the House this year. Voters approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that could allow the party to pick up as many as five seats in California.