California voters can register to vote as “No Party Preference.” But in the 2026 race for governor, Democrats seem to have registered as “No Candidate Preference.” Outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom did not cultivate a successor. And for months, there was no favorite among the many Democrats vying to replace him. Even now, it’s not clear who the Democrats’ frontrunner is. It could be Xaivier Becerra, whom the consultants and the media plucked from the bottom of the pile. It could be Tom Steyer, who