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Betty Yee, a Democrat and former California State Controller, announced on Monday that she is withdrawing from the gubernatorial race due to disappointing poll numbers.
Yee explained that her decision was influenced by what she described as “shame polls” orchestrated by party leaders, which indicated that voters were not prioritizing experience and competence as much as expected.
This development adds to the turmoil in the governor’s race, following the recent suspension of Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell’s campaign amid allegations of rape and sexual assault.
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During an interview with CBS, Yee elaborated on her decision to exit the race: “The party conducted polls to streamline the field, and unfortunately, the results showed that experience and competence were not resonating with voters as much as we anticipated at the start of my campaign.”
Announcing her campaign was over, Yee told CBS: “I mean, they’re doing their job and for whatever reason decided to put money into a poll that would narrow the field.
“What they were saying, which was concerning, was that experience and competence was not polling as high as we thought when I first started this race.
“We are in this new era where it’s kind of almost a reality TV show mentality that people want, and frankly, conflict sells. That’s what gets people’s attention.”
“I’m not a flashy person, I don’t come with gimmicks. I even joked with my team one time, maybe I just need to bring a folding stool and throw it off the stage just to get some attention. I mean, what’s it gonna take, right?”
“I am stepping aside from this race for governor because this is a time where I do not see a path to be successful. But success comes in all different forms.
“I do feel we’ve run a successful campaign. But the work doesn’t stop here. My commitment to public service is both in my public life and in my personal life. So I will be back to the communities.”
California Democrats have been pleading with low polling candidates to pull out of the race for weeks as polling showed they were splitting the vote and favoring the Republicans.
A new poll released Monday shows Trump-backed Steve Hilton still leading the field with 20%, while Xavier Becerra is now tied with billionaire Tom Steyer at 15%.
Close behind are Chad Bianco at 14% and Katie Porter at 13%, all within striking distance of a runoff spot, according to a poll by Gudelunas Strategies.
The surge comes amid growing chatter that allies of Gavin Newsom are increasingly viewing Becerra as a viable dark horse candidate to succeed the term-limited governor.
While Newsom himself has not issued a formal endorsement, reports suggest individuals within his political network have begun shifting their attention toward Becerra following Swalwell’s exit.
