Elections
California Democratic primary remains wide open ahead of early voting states
PN Team • 1 month ago
California's Democratic presidential primary is set for March 3, Super Tuesday, but the state's outcome will likely hinge on results from Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, which vote earlier. Kamala Harris's exit from the race last week has fueled speculation about who benefits, but strategists note she had only modest California support (7-8% in late-2019 polling), with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren leading, followed by Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. Analysts expect California voters and donors to wait and see how candidates perform elsewhere before committing, since mail voting begins February 3, the same day as the Iowa caucuses.
Democratic strategists point out California has a history of backing eventual losers, including Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in 2008. Michael Bloomberg, skipping the four early states, is banking on a stumble by frontrunners to gain traction on Super Tuesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who endorsed Harris, is being courted by rival campaigns but isn't expected to endorse soon. Harris's network of California donors and fundraisers is now considered up for grabs among the remaining candidates.
Sources:
Sentiment
- Bernie Sanders Sanders is noted as a leading candidate in California polling, reflecting favorable standing.
- Elizabeth Warren Warren is described as leading in California polls, a positive indicator.
- Kamala Harris Harris's exit from the race and modest California support highlight a setback for her campaign.
- Hillary Clinton Clinton is cited as an example of a candidate California backed who ultimately lost, a mildly unfavorable historical association.
- Barack Obama Obama is mentioned only as a historical reference point in California's 2008 primary history.
- California California is the central subject of the article, discussed factually as a key primary state.
- Iowa Iowa is mentioned as an early voting state influencing California's primary decisions.
- Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic primary process is described factually without reputational judgment on the party.
- Nevada Nevada is mentioned factually as one of the early voting states.
- New Hampshire New Hampshire is mentioned factually as one of the early voting states.
- South Carolina South Carolina is mentioned factually as one of the early voting states.