Betty Yee Becomes Latest Democrat to Exit California Governor’s Race

Former state Controller Betty Yee said Monday that she is ending her campaign for California governor, bowing to pressure from party leaders urging nonviable candidates to drop out of a fractured Democratic field.

Yee ran on a platform of fiscal accountability, drawing on her experience managing the state’s finances and tax system as controller and a member of the Board of Equalization. She spent months polling in the single digits, never managing to break through the crowded race, despite finishing second in the state party’s endorsement vote in February.

In her announcement on Monday morning, Yee said her decision to drop out of the race was influenced by flagging poll numbers and the loss of donors.

“What has changed is the whole notion that voters are looking for experience and competence is not a top priority — and that’s been really my wheelhouse,” Yee said. “It really just came down to where I’m not going to have sufficient resources to get us to the finish line.”

Her exit comes roughly a week after the leading Democratic candidate, East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, dropped out of the race and resigned his House seat following accusations of sexual assault and misconduct from former staffers.

His abrupt departure reshuffled the race, as remaining contenders scramble for his endorsements, donors and supporters — and greatly reduced the chances of two Republicans advancing through California’s top-two primary in June, according to a model created by Political Data Inc. vice president Paul Mitchell.

Xavier Becerra, who served as Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, saw a bump in polling, putting him at the front of the Democratic field alongside billionaire investor and climate activist Tom Steyer. Steyer also landed endorsements from the California Teachers Association and Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter picked up an endorsement on Monday from Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Yee, however, did not appear to be among the beneficiaries of the reshaped race.

She had first announced her intent to run in 2023, hoping to become California’s first woman and person of color elected governor.

“I think one of the disappointments I will carry from this campaign is, where was my community? And I think we had an opportunity to make history,” Yee said. “I did not see them there as I had robustly in the past with respect to my donors.”

Yee grew up in San Francisco, the daughter of Chinese immigrants and the second oldest of six kids. In a February interview discussing her campaign with KQED’s Political Breakdown, she described helping manage the books for her parents’ laundry and dry cleaning business.

“Every week, my father would hand me a cigar box of the receipts, and I’d add up what our expenses were, and we’d figure out how much we had brought in. And it was eye-opening,” she said. “We may have been poor, but we were rich in values.”

Her first political experience came when she was 13 years old and testified at a school district hearing to advocate against a school busing desegregation program that would have sent her younger sister across the city. In the same interview, she said she would not take that same position today.

In her announcement, Yee teared up when thanking her family, including her 103-year-old mother.

“Every time I ask her, ‘How are you feeling about what’s going on in the world?’ Her response is always the same. ‘We know what we got to do,’” Yee said. “Mom, I’m just going to say: Yeah, I know. And I will continue to go do it.”

She did not endorse another candidate after dropping out but said she would assess the remaining candidates and announce her pick within the next few days.

When asked what qualities she’ll be looking for, she said she wants someone with “a demonstrated history of making progress” and an “ability to work with diverse interests.”

Looking ahead, Yee said she will continue standing up for immigrant and border communities and vowed to protect election integrity.

“I will be seeing you in the communities where I’ve been, but as of today, it will be in a different venue,” Yee said. “Not as a candidate, but as a fellow Californian.”