California’s top Democrat plots voting revolution to snatch governor’s race from Republicans
California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks is advocating for a major overhaul of the state's primary election system to prevent Republicans from advancing in the governor's race. The current 'jungle primary' system allows the top two candidates, regardless of party, to move to the general election, which some Democrats believe could split the vote. Hicks has called for a review or repeal of the system, though no specific alternative has been proposed.
- ▪Rusty Hicks is the chair of the California Democratic Party and a prominent advocate for changing the state's primary system.
- ▪California uses a 'top-two' or 'jungle primary' system, approved in 2010, where the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
- ▪In the 2026 governor's race, Democrats fear vote-splitting could allow two Republicans, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, to advance to the general election.
- ▪Hicks has previously urged lower-polling Democratic candidates to drop out to consolidate support.
- ▪The current system was originally promoted by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a way to boost moderate candidates.
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Politics California’s top Democrat plots voting revolution to snatch governor’s race from Republicans By Titus Wu Published May 3, 2026, 12:44 p.m. ET The chair of the California Democratic Party has had enough of the possibility that Republicans could lock out Democrats in this year’s governor’s race — and wants to change the the voting system to prevent that in the future. Rusty Hicks is one of the first prominent Democrats this year to embrace a wholescale change to how the state holds its primaries, where currently the top two candidates regardless of political party advance to the general election. “The current system we have does not work,” Hicks told the Guardian. “It needs to be revised or repealed.” 3 Rusty Hicks.
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