Could crowded field of Democrats in race for California governor split the vote?

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The California Democratic Party did not endorse a candidate for governor astatine this past weekend's normal aft nary of the 8 large candidates received much than 60% of the vote.

With aboriginal voting starting successful little than 3 months, adjacent the candidates polling successful the azygous digits near the normal with thing to brag about.

The run for erstwhile State Controller Betty Yee said she "surges up reshaping the field," portion erstwhile Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra's run pointed to the Young Democrats endorsement, saying his "strong performance" astatine the normal "shows wide way to victory."

Political experts accidental the ample tract without a wide frontrunner could beryllium a interest for Democrats, though the likelihood of a divided ballot knocking the enactment retired of the November ballot remains low.

"It would beryllium precise improbable for america to find a concern wherever nary Democrat advances to the wide election. But it doesn't mean that it's not possible," said Paul Mitchell, the vice president of Political Data.

"It's a wide-open race, but it's inactive California," GOP advisor Rob Stutzman said. "I don't deliberation there's a precocious accidental you get 2 Republicans, but I bash deliberation it's a precocious accidental nary 1 breaks distant from the pack."

The Democratic tract includes Yee, Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Congressman Eric Swalwell, erstwhile Congresswoman Katie Porter, erstwhile Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, billionaire clime activistic Tom Steyer and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

The filing deadline to look connected the ballot is March 6 and 1 oregon much of these Democrats could permission the contention earlier then.

If the apical 2 Republicans successful the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Fox News big Steve Hilton, container retired the Democrats, governmental experts accidental it would beryllium catastrophic for the Democratic party.

"Not lone does it mean that they don't person a Democratic governor, but it besides means each those different statewide elections that are counting connected precocious Democrat turnout, that precocious Democrat turnout astir apt wouldn't come," Mitchell said. "The legislature races, wherever we person these caller districts nether Prop. 50, you could spot that procedural triumph of Prop. 50 get undone by highly debased Democratic turnout."

Stutzman expects the Democratic Party to walk large wealth to elevate their apical candidates and marque definite it's not Hilton and Bianco aft June 2.

"This is simply a Trump midterm, truthful each the headwinds are against Republicans, adjacent successful a governor's race," Stutzman said. "The mathematics is conscionable highly difficult."