Former state Comptroller Betty Yee dropped out of the 2026 governor’s race on Monday, citing low support from voters and donors.
Yee, a Democrat, was part of a wide field of politicians vying to replace ousted Gov. Gavin Newsom. But despite a race of major candidates to lead the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy, this year’s governor’s race has long lacked a clear candidate well known to voters.
“The whole notion that voters are looking for experience and ability is not the top priority, and how we got this campaign off the ground is really based on my experience,” he said in a virtual press conference Monday morning. “Donors have felt the turnout … and it’s really gotten to the point where I don’t have enough resources to get us over the finish line.”
The former two-term state comptroller did not immediately endorse any other candidate and said he would take a few days to assess the field before making an announcement.
The race was changed earlier this month by then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, one of the leading Democrats in the race, was accused of sexual harassment and other misconduct. The East Bay Democrat, who faces multiple criminal investigations, immediately ended his gubernatorial bid and resigned from Congress.
Yee, 68, was widely respected by Democrats during his tenure in Sacramento. and that highlights his no-drama personality On Thursday.
Yee social media site
But it never had the financial resources to compete aggressively in a state with one of the most expensive media markets in the country.
Yee reported raising about $583,000 for his gubernatorial bid in 2025, according to campaign fundraising reports filed with the California Secretary of State’s office. Yee’s announcement that she was dropping out of the race came just days before the latest financial disclosures were publicly reported.
Despite being elected twice to the State Board of Equalization and twice as State Comptroller, Yee was not widely known by most Californians. She never reached double digits in the gubernatorial election.
His name will still appear on the ballot. She was among the candidates who rejected a request earlier this year from state Democratic Party leaders to reconsider their viability amid fears the party would be ousted from the November general election because of the state’s unique primary system. The top two vote-getters in the June primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November general election.
Although California voters are overwhelmingly Democratic, the structure of the gubernatorial field makes it statistically possible for Republicans to win the top two spots if Democratic voters are split among their party’s candidates. Yee said the fear of that scenario has kind of taken over the governor’s race.
“Was it possible? Yes. Was it plausible? No, we’re in California. It wasn’t going to happen,” he said, should the top-two primary system be eliminated.
Nevertheless, Yi was beloved by Democratic Party activists, and previously served as vice chairman of the party.
No Democratic candidate reached the threshold required to win the party’s official endorsement at the February convention, but despite calls to drop out of the race, Yee finished second with the support of 17% of delegates.
“Every poll shows this race is wide open, and I know this party,” she said in an interview at the conference. “Frankly, I’ve been in positions where it’s been a crowded field, and we look hard and candidates emerge.”
The gubernatorial primary will be held on June 2, although voters will begin receiving mail ballots in about two weeks.
