Yet another Democrat has dropped out of the race to become California’s governor.
Following Rep. Eric Swalwell’s decision to leave the race and resign his congressional seat amid a slew of allegations that include sexual misconduct, another Democrat has made the decision to end their race. Former state Controller Betty Yee called it quits on Monday after party bosses funded polling that showed people just weren’t into what she had to offer.
#BREAKINGNEWS: Betty Yee, who served as California’s State Controller from 2015 to 2023, has suspended her campaign for California governor. The San Francisco native made the announcement Monday morning. https://t.co/WzkaqNx57E pic.twitter.com/CGNt35jEo6
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 20, 2026
Speaking to CBS News California Investigates, Yee clarified that the party pressure was not behind her decision to bow out of the race.
“I mean, they’re doing their job and for whatever reason decided to put money into a poll that would narrow the field,” she said, saying that the “shame polls” were ultimately self-fulfilling. “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.”
Speaking to Julie Watts, Yee mused about her campaign’s failure to get off the ground.
“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,” she noted. “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?”
But just because she is ending her run for governor doesn’t mean that Yee is out of the fight, she says.
“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.”
While this may seem like a win for Republican candidates who can capitalize on the optics of a party in disarray, the truth may not be so simple.
“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%,” The New York Post reported. “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.”
With lower-polling Democrats bailing out of the race, their supporters will likely be encouraged to rally around the party’s front-runner to prevent the Republican Party from winning. If the Democrats can convince more candidates to consolidate their voters, it will prove difficult for the GOP to overcome.
X users weighed in:
Good. No more libtards in California . We’ve experienced the aftermath
— Jeseestark (@JJstark26) April 20, 2026
She allowed $billions of dollars of fraud. We need to make sure people like Yee can never be in positions of authority if California is to survive.
— P Mason (@PerryMason1961) April 20, 2026
Betty Yee bailing because California Dems prefer circus clowns over boring competence what a shocker the golden state stays golden for grifters.
— Tobe (@Tobee_ST) April 20, 2026
Nice if she’d done that before ballots were set. Her name will still be on the ballot. Too little. Too late.
— Sandi Anthony (@SandiAnthony1) April 20, 2026
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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