Some Gubernatorial Candidates Taking Different Path in Run for Governor

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, March 5, 2026

• What makes a winning candidate for governor of California? Well, with the exceptions of movie stars Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, every governor for more than 80 years has had experience in statewide office. Gavin Newsom was lieutenant governor. Pete Wilson was a U.S. Senator. Pat Brown and Jerry Brown were both attorney general. This year, the leading candidates are taking a different path.
• In the City of Pomona, local officials are demanding the release of a man without legal documentation held at the Adelanto Processing Center. They’re concerned about his health and the lack of adequate medical care.
• San Diego County is suing the Department of Homeland Security for blocking access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

California’s governor’s race is breaking an 80-year political mold

For more than 80 years, the best launching pad for aspiring governors of California has been a statewide office. With the Hollywood-sized exceptions of Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, every winning gubernatorial candidate in California since 1942 held an office elected by voters statewide. By first serving as attorney general, lieutenant governor or U.S. senator, politicians from Pat Brown to Gavin Newsom built resumes and rolodexes that would help them win the state’s top job.

But in this year’s wide-open governor’s race, the Democratic frontrunners are forging a new path. The top-polling Democrats (Republicans face little prospect of winning a general election in this reliably blue state) are Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and investor Tom Steyer — none of whom has ever won a statewide election.

Meanwhile, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former state Controller Betty Yee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have lagged in the polls — and other statewide officeholders have either quit the race or decided against running. “I think the stepping stone process has changed,” said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic strategist. “There are a lot of people that are in a hurry to get to higher ranks in the political circles, and they bypass the usual [process of] building on their experience and building up their support because they can go directly to the voters.”

Instead of spending years building experience on state issues and cultivating relationships with powerful interest groups in Sacramento, Swalwell and Porter established their reputations in the House of Representatives as outspoken critics of President Donald Trump — and then sought higher office: Swalwell briefly ran for president in 2020, and Porter lost her bid for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

Swalwell and Porter’s ability to build name identification with voters beyond the boundaries of their congressional districts is in part a product of the nationalization of political media, said Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University and author of “Congress and the Media.” For most of the last century, members of Congress — particularly those outside of House leadership — weren’t interested in attention from national outlets and tended to focus on local press, Vinson said. “Ten years ago, Nancy Mace is going to have to work a whole lot harder to get people in South Carolina to know who she is, Katie Porter is going to have to work a whole lot harder, Swalwell would have to work a whole lot harder to get that statewide attention,” Vinson said. “But now they’ve already made a name for themselves in the national press — and the reality is most people these days are getting their news either from social media or national media.”

Pomona officials demand release of detained man over medical concerns

The Pomona City Council is demanding the release of an undocumented man currently held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, citing concerns about his health and access to medical care while in federal custody. Ramiro Santiago Pacheco Martinez, 53, was arrested by Border Patrol agents last November while waiting for a bus in Pomona to pick up medication for his diabetes, according to family members and advocates.

His daughter, Jax Santana, said her father has been detained for about three months and suffers from multiple medical conditions, including high blood pressure and a serious heart condition that requires consistent medical treatment. She said he has suffered three heart attacks in recent years and has a pacemaker that may need to be replaced. He relies on regular medication to manage his health conditions. Santana alleges that after her father was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, he did not consistently receive his medication.

She said the detention has also taken an emotional and financial toll on her family, since Pacheco Martinez was one of the household’s main providers. The uncertainty surrounding his condition forced her to withdraw from classes, while she tried to advocate for his release. “The only thing on my mind was, ‘Is my dad going to be released? Is my dad going to be okay? Will I get to see my dad?’” Santana said.

The Pomona City Council passed a resolution Monday calling on federal authorities to release Pacheco Martinez from detention. Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval said the action reflects the values of the community and was driven in part by advocacy from local residents and immigrant rights groups. “When we have an opportunity to say ‘Free Ramiro,’ it speaks to the values of this community,” Sandoval said. City officials say Pacheco Martinez has lived in the United States for nearly two decades and does not have a criminal record.

San Diego County to sue DHS for access to inspect Otay Mesa Detention Center

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday announced it’s suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for access to inspect the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Last month, federal and county officials were turned away from the Otay Mesa Detention Center when they tried to inspect the facility. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said the county did not follow proper procedures for an inspection and was turned away. “These procedures and protocols exist for the safety of detainees, staff, and visitors,” the spokesperson said.

But Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer disputed the claim and provided an email from CoreCivic, the operator of the Otay Mesa Detention Center, stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had approved the visit. “This is not about politics. This is about public health and the rule of law,” she said. “California law gives local public health officers the authority to inspect privately run immigration detention facilities operating in our communities.”

San Diego is the first county in the state to exercise that right. Lawson-Remer said this was uncharted territory.