Meet the candidates in California’s wide-open governor race

It’s a race for the California governorship unlike any other in recent memory. While several candidates sit near the top, no dominant frontrunner has emerged among the crowd.

California has a rich and colorful history of famous governors, more than any other state in the U.S. Ronald Reagan served two terms from 1967 to 1975 before being elected president in 1980. Edmund “Pat” Brown defeated Richard Nixon, our 37th president who ran for California governor, in the 1962 election. Brown’s son Jerry went on to serve two different terms, the first one made famous by his bachelor lifestyle and dating singer Linda Ronstadt.

And who could forget Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunning announcement on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 2003 that he would run for governor? Schwarzenegger changed the image of a governorship, erecting a cigar-smoking tent on the lawn of the state Capitol and hosting friendly dinners for the media. Then along came Gavin Newsom, who became well known for his early support of gay rights when he was mayor of San Francisco.

So how did we go from these famous names to this year’s crop of lackluster candidates? Despite some candidates announcing nearly a year ago, no one has been a runaway favorite in polling. The two biggest Democratic names in current California politics — former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla — both opted out of the governor’s race, some say wisely, considering the great amount of debt the state is in. It’s also a tough state to run, never knowing when the next major wildfire or earthquake will occur.

I’ve covered seven presidential elections and dozens of other political races. I was with President Reagan at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles when he had a landslide victory in the 1984 presidential race. I smoked cigars with Arnold in his cigar tent and asked for tips on workouts. Voters want someone fresh with new ideas, and being exciting doesn’t hurt. Unless you’re a politician or journalist, none of the candidates currently running have strong statewide name recognition. Yet they think they can tackle a $3-$18 billion budget shortfall (the estimates vary); solve the homeless crisis, rebuild Pacific Palisades and make neighborhoods safe.

About 26 percent of Californians are undecided in this year’s election. Count me as one of them. Contributor Eric Schucht has a breakdown of the candidates here.

– Judy Farah, editor (filling in for Managing Editor Dakota Morlan, who is on vacation this week)

How Do You Terminate a Remote Employee? Do They Need to Come in if They Live Locally?

The Evil HR Lady talks reductions in force, a complicated legal area in California, and how to make terminations of remote workers as painless as possible for both sides.

Scaling a Company Starts With Letting Go | Opinion

In Dave Sanders’ work as an executive recruiter, he has observed that every company eventually reaches a stage where the founder can no longer be the primary driver of the business. To test that idea, he spoke with four entrepreneurs who have been through that transition themselves.

Why I Stopped Reading Books — and How I Finally Started Again

Comstock’s Managing Editor Dakota Morlan shares the tool that helped her get back into her childhood habit of “voracious reading.”

Odds and Ends

Contributor Steve Martarano has been covering the Athletics’ term in Sacramento since it was first announced in 2024. One of his photos from the story “It’s Happening: The A’s Are in Sacramento” was featured at the new Sacramento History Museum’s Play Ball! Sacramento in the National Pastime exhibit, which opened May 1 and will run into October. The exhibition, located in the R. Burnett & Mimi Glide Miller Gallery in the museum, tells the story of Sacramento’s rich 175-year baseball history.

Comstock's