Becerra Vs Steyer Polling Shows Roughly 60-Candidate California Race
becerra vs steyer polling showed California Democrats still undecided in the closing days before the June 2 primary as ballots kept going out from early May. Roughly 60 candidates were on one ballot under California’s top-two primary system, leaving voters to sort through a crowded field for Gavin Newsom’s successor.
Colin Culver Votes Steyer
Colin Culver, a 21-year-old San Diego resident, said, “I’m kind of pinching my nose and voting this go-around rather than being excited,” before ultimately voting for Tom Steyer. He was one of the voters caught between a race with no clear frontrunner and no political superstar.
Steyer is a billionaire hedge fund manager turned climate activist. His campaign was one of several drawing attention in a race that also featured Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa and Steve Hilton on debate stages in May.
Sacramento And San Francisco Events
Becerra appeared at a town hall meeting in Sacramento on Monday, May 11, 2026. Four days later, Steyer spoke during a gubernatorial debate in San Francisco hosted by CBS Bay Area and the San Francisco Examiner, while Porter raised her hand during the same event.
Earlier, Villaraigosa, Porter, Steyer and Hilton took part in a debate hosted by at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The sequence of appearances showed a field still trying to break through with Democrats who were returning ballots more slowly than normal after a chaotic campaign full of surprises.
June 2 Primary Ballots
California’s top-two primary system puts all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party, which meant Democrats faced the same crowded list as every other voter. With Newsom termed out and the primary set for June 2, the slow pace of returns left campaigns still trying to reach undecided voters before ballots were due.
For voters like Culver, the practical choice was not between clear front-runners but between names they could live with on a ballot filled with about 60 candidates. That leaves the final stretch of the race focused on persuasion, not momentum.
