Democrats’ Nightmare Unfolding As Republicans Poised To Crush One-Party Control In Blue State Race

California Democrats face a serious challenge to their long dominance of state politics as polling shows major issues for them in the 2026 gubernatorial primary.

In California, a state that hasn’t sent a Republican to the governor’s office in almost a decade, the 2026 race to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom is showing early signs that Democrats are in trouble. The June 2 primary operates under the top-two system, enacted in 2012 after voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010. Every California voter, regardless of party, gets the same ballot, and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November general.