{"id":2577128,"date":"2026-03-07T06:48:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T11:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-and-newsom-may-need-to-end-state-circular-firing-squad-for-november\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T06:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T11:50:36","slug":"pelosi-and-newsom-may-need-to-end-state-circular-firing-squad-for-november","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-and-newsom-may-need-to-end-state-circular-firing-squad-for-november\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelosi and Newsom may need to end state &#8216;circular firing squad&#8217; for November"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpelosi-and-newsom-may-need-to-end-state-circular-firing-squad-for-november%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2577128&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>the piece examines the dynamics of California\u2019s 2026 gubernatorial race as the Democratic Party seeks to narrow a crowded field ahead of the June primary.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; california democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks urged long-shot candidates to exit the crowded race, a move Gov.Gavin Newsom publicly signaled support for, though most candidates have not followed thru.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Eight Democrats filed to qualify for the June primary, with the California Secretary of State set to certify the final ballot on March 21. The top-two primary format could allow two Republicans\u2014Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco\u2014to advance to November, possibly making california the first state to elect a GOP governor since 2006.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Party strategists warn that a fractured Democratic field could boost Republican chances, while some Republicans describe the situation as a developing risk rather than an immediate crisis.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hicks\u2019s public call to prune the field drew mixed reactions. Some say public involvement can backfire, pushing donors and other leaders to react behind the scenes. Others argue that influential figures like Pelosi and Newsom may need to intervene privately to consolidate support.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Newsom has not endorsed a candidate but has publicly supported Hicks\u2019s effort to shrink the field; he suggested there is no margin for error in allowing a \u201cRepublican Trumper\u201d to run in a state considered anti-Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Polling shows a tight race among Democrats, with three prominent candidates\u2014Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell, and Tom Steyer\u2014near Hilton and Bianco within a small margin of error. At the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lin-wood-advances-effort-to-become-new-s-c-gop-chair\/\" title=\"Lin Wood advances effort to become new S.C. GOP chair\">state party convention<\/a>, no candidate secured a coveted endorsement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Analysts caution that endorsements from Pelosi or Newsom might be required to prevent two Republicans from reaching the runoff, while some strategists advise that narrowing the field, not necessarily unifying behind one candidate, could be sufficient to maintain Democratic control of the governor\u2019s mansion.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article features varied reactions, including praise for consolidation from some Republicans and skepticism about the effectiveness of public calls for others to drop out.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Pelosi and Newsom may need to put an end to California&rsquo;s &lsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/everything-you-missed-from-cable-news-experts-this-weekend\/\" title=\"Everything You Missed From Cable News \u2018Experts\u2019 This Weekend\">circular firing squad<\/a>&rsquo; to avoid a midterm shock<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2500916\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>All eyes are on California&rsquo;s political heavyweights to intervene and put an end to the &ldquo;circular firing squad&rdquo; that is the gubernatorial primary.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California <\/a>Democratic Party Chair <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4478747\/california-democratic-chair-warn-gubernatorial-struggles-drop\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4478747\/california-democratic-chair-warn-gubernatorial-struggles-drop\/\">Rusty Hicks<\/a> urged long-shot candidates to exit the crowded <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">governor&rsquo;s race<\/a>, a sentiment that term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) agrees with. Unfortunately for Hicks, most ignored him.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4484311\/california-shakeup-kevin-kiley-reelection-independent-darrell-issa-retire\/\">California shakeup: Kevin Kiley to run for reelection as independent, Darrell Issa to retire<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4484138\/national-symphony-director-kennedy-center-trump\/\">National Symphony director joins Kennedy Center exodus following Trump moves<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4477613\/tale-of-two-cities-san-francisco-los-angeles\/\">A tale of two cities: Why San Francisco is rebounding and Los Angeles isn&#8217;t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Eight Democratic candidates have filed the paperwork to qualify for the June primary, pressing ahead despite <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cadem.org\/open-letter-to-the-democratic-candidates-for-governor\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/cadem.org\/open-letter-to-the-democratic-candidates-for-governor\/\">Hicks&rsquo;s plea<\/a> to thin the field. The California Secretary of State&rsquo;s office will certify the final ballot on March 21.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa and Betty Yee stand on the stage during the California gubernatorial candidate debate Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Laure Andrillon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Party leaders fear the sprawling Democratic field could fracture support in the top-two primary, potentially allowing two <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"240\">Republicans <\/a>&mdash; former Fox News host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/stevehiltonforgovernor.com\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/stevehiltonforgovernor.com\/\">Steve Hilton<\/a> and Riverside Sheriff <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/biancoforgovernor.com\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/biancoforgovernor.com\/\">Chad Bianco<\/a> &mdash; to advance to November. That would guarantee California elects its first GOP governor since 2006.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;California Democrats are suddenly discovering the downside of their own jungle primary system,&rdquo; Republican strategist Erin Maguire told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em> &ldquo;When you have eight Democrats in the race and only two Republicans, the math starts to look dangerous very quickly. &hellip; They know a fractured Democratic vote could hand Republicans the top two spots in November, and for a party that treats California as a political fortress, that&rsquo;s an unacceptable risk.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>GOP strategist Jeff Burton called the situation &ldquo;not a hair on fire moment yet,&rdquo; but warned it is evolving.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whenever party chairs and leaders get involved publicly, to the extent Mr. Hicks did with his letter, it ALWAYS backfires,&rdquo; Burton, co-founder at Maven Advocacy, said. &ldquo;His letter will actually limit the ability of other leaders like Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Schiff to engage because political moves like this are almost always best done out of the public eye, and now, everyone is watching.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hicks hardened his tone Thursday, saying the responsibility rests with the candidates who remain in the race.<\/p>\n<p>California&rsquo;s Democratic heavyweights &mdash; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1426\">Newsom<\/a>, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/adam-schiff\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"130\">Adam Schiff <\/a>and Alex Padilla, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nancy-pelosi\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"454\">Rep. Nancy Pelosi <\/a>&mdash; control donors, endorsements, and party infrastructure. The question is whether they will use that influence to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >nudge lower-tier candidates<\/a> toward the exit.<\/p>\n<p>So far, however, only one candidate has bowed out, fueling speculation that party leaders are either reluctant to intervene directly or lack the leverage they once had.<\/p>\n<p>Newsom, who is widely expected to launch his national bid for 2028 after his term as governor ends, has not endorsed anyone in the race but has publicly signaled support for Hicks&rsquo;s effort to shrink the field.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Rusty Hicks sent me his statement &hellip; and I confess, I agree,&rdquo; Newsom said. &ldquo;At this moment in history, with all the peril and promise that marks this moment, for California, the most un-Trump state in America, to have a Republican Trumper running. There is no margin for error &hellip; all I&rsquo;ll say is choose wisely.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Lance Christensen, vice president at the California Policy Center, said Hicks&rsquo;s letter also signaled to donors &ldquo;to encourage lesser popular candidates out of the race.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So far, it looks like only Ian Calderon took the bait,&rdquo; Christensen told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;I know that Republicans are wary that this is a trap to fuel a Republican to lose to the Democrats in November, but we only have two months for the primary race and [Tom] Steyer and [San Jose Matt] Mahan have already started spending like drunken sailors with the others waiting to unleash. And so far, it&rsquo;s a circular firing squad. I&rsquo;m of the opinion that this bodes very well for Republicans Hilton and Bianco making it out of the top two if center-right voters show up to the polls in May and June.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Polling shows the race is tight. Three Democrats &mdash; former Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and billionaire Tom Steyer &mdash; cluster with Hilton and Bianco within 4 points, all inside the 3.9% margin of error.<\/p>\n<p>At the California Democratic Party convention two weeks ago, no candidate secured the party&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4469927\/no-dem-candidate-party-endorse-california-governor\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4469927\/no-dem-candidate-party-endorse-california-governor\/\">coveted endorsement<\/a>. Eight of the nine candidates addressed delegates in San Francisco; the closest was Swalwell with 24% of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>Veteran strategist Garry South, who ran Newsom&rsquo;s first campaign, said public endorsements from Pelosi or Newsom may be needed to prevent two Republicans from reaching the runoff.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Pelosi and Newsom are probably ultimately going to have to publicly endorse one of the Democrats in order to move the needle, so that two Republicans don&rsquo;t end up in the runoff,&rdquo; South told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;I think they both know this. Presumably, they would endorse the same candidate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Koneschusky, CEO of Beltway Advisors, said Democratic leaders are almost certainly scrambling behind closed doors.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are likely feverish conversations happening behind the scenes right now,&rdquo; Koneschusky told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, adding that California&rsquo;s predicament &ldquo;should be a serious wake-up call&rdquo; for the state.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he argued Democrats do not need to rally behind a single candidate yet &mdash; they simply need to narrow the field enough to avoid a primary upset.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What they need is enough consolidation in the field to get safely through the primary and maintain control of the governor&rsquo;s mansion,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a real difference between picking a nominee and narrowing a field, and the latter is all that&rsquo;s needed right now.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4478747\/california-democratic-chair-warn-gubernatorial-struggles-drop\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4478747\">CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR TELLS TRAILING GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES TO DROP OUT <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For Hilton, the GOP contender sitting at the top of the most recent poll, the Democratic turmoil has been entertaining.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s hilarious to see them panicking,&rdquo; Hilton told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also interesting that they&rsquo;re obsessing over the quantity of candidates, because just as big a problem is the quality&hellip; It&rsquo;s like a conveyor belt of crappier and crappier politicians.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pelosi, Newsom urged to end CA &#8216;circular firing squad<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2577129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cagovdebate.jpeg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[70933,75276,3685,3678,3928],"class_list":["post-2577128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-california-politics-2","tag-circular-firing-squad","tag-democrats","tag-newsom","tag-pelosi"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cagovdebate.jpeg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2577128"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2577134,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577128\/revisions\/2577134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2577129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2577128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2577128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2577128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}