<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Democrats <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/us/california-governor-democratic-political-machine.html" title="">have panicked all year</a> at the possibility that California’s primary rules could shut them out of the governor’s office despite the state having an overwhelmingly Democratic electorate.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Now a Democratic strategist is launching a campaign to repeal the California primary system, an effort that is likely to attract serious backing not only from labor unions, but also from some Republicans and third-party organizations.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Under the current system, which has been in place for 15 years, candidates of all parties run on the same primary ballot, and the top two finishers advance to the general election. In some races, particularly in areas that are extremely liberal or extremely conservative, two Democrats or two Republicans have faced off against each other in November. </p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The new proposal, filed Friday with state elections officials, would end the nonpartisan top-two primary and revert to a traditional primary in which one candidate from each party advances to the general election. </p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">It would have to be approved by voters, and backers are hoping to place it on the 2028 ballot. If approved, it would have its first widespread use in 2030 elections, including the governor’s race.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Steven Maviglio, the Democratic consultant who filed <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/26-0004%20%28%26quot%3BUndo%20the%20Top-Two%26quot%3B%29.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">the initiative</a>, has always objected to the top-two system but said he was motivated to try to repeal it this year after seeing the possibility of Democrats being shut out of the general election. At one point, polls showed two Republicans — Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County — atop the sprawling field running for governor.</p><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171d1bw"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" data-tpl="i" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. 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