Race to Succeed Newsom Has Democrats in Disarray: Erika D. Smith

March 30, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC

After more than a year in disarray, Democrats finally seem to be getting it together. The party is heading into the midterm elections with an edge in both polling and messaging. Voters are energized — see this weekend’s No Kings rallies — and that has led to a string of wins in special elections, including one last week that flipped a district in Florida that takes in President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

How, then, to explain what’s happening in the Democratic stronghold of California?

The race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom has devolved into such a comedy of unforced errors that ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.