Unthinkable in California: Republicans Are Leading Governor Race

Californians haven’t elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. But in this year’s race, opinion polls are suggesting the unthinkable for Democrats: a potential two-man showdown in November in which both candidates are from the GOP.

Under the state’s electoral rules, only the top two finishers in the June 2 primary appear on the general election ballot, regardless of party. The leaders in two recent polls were Republicans, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Their performance is stoking a rising sense of anxiety among Democrats as their vote splinters among a ...