No clear front-runner in race for California governor, new poll shows

"Right now, these Democrats are not very different. They don't have a lot distinguishing them in their platforms. You can be 'anti-Trump' or 'pro-Newsom' or have a little bit of nuance in some of your positions, but generally, they want to stay the course with a Democratic governor in California that is playing the foil to President Trump and protecting Californians."

"Tom Steyer has actually raised his profile. Well, that's in part because he's spending millions and millions of dollars, including on a Super Bowl ad. His advertising is pretty good. It's much better than we saw in the presidential race, for example. This is somebody who's investing to get himself better known, and you can see that's working."

A recent poll reveals the race to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom remains highly competitive with no dominant candidate. Republican Steve Hilton leads at 15%, followed by Democrat Katie Porter at 13% and Republican Chad Bianco at 12%. Democrats Eric Swalwell and Tom Steyer round out the top tier at 11% and 10% respectively. Democratic candidates lack significant platform differentiation, primarily focusing on anti-Trump messaging and protecting California. Porter has declined seven points since December, while Steyer has gained ground through substantial advertising spending, including a Super Bowl ad. The poll indicates 10% voter indecision with a 3.1% margin of error. Both Hilton and Bianco could potentially advance past the June primary, with increasing likelihood.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles