George Skelton, Veteran California Politics Reporter, Discusses Possibility of Two Republicans And No One Else on November 2026 Gubernatorial Ballot

Posted on by December 3, 2025

George Skelton, veteran California politics reporter, has this column discussing the possibility that the top-two system could create a November 2026 ballot with only two Republicans on the ballot, with no write-in space. It is unfortunate that he didn’t suggest that the legislature legalize write-ins.

Comments

George Skelton, Veteran California Politics Reporter, Discusses Possibility of Two Republicans And No One Else on November 2026 Gubernatorial Ballot — 12 Comments

  2. NO WRITE-INS — IN CA CONST OR A MERE CA ELECTION LAW SECTION ???

    USA 14-2 AMDT VIOLATION IN EITHER CASE

  5. If two Republicans win nominations, I’m confident that the California legislature will move with lightening speed to amend the law.

  6. I doubt this will happen. I think it’s anathema to Democratic Party politics to let this happen. They’ll all “coalesce” (to use a Democratic word) around one candidate eventually.

  7. I think the party’s own rules forbid them from endorsing a candidate unless the endorsed candidate gets 60% of the delegates. I doubt very much any Democrat could get that much support at the endorsing convention.

  8. CA CONST ART II

    SEC. 5. (a) A voter-nomination primary election shall be conducted to select the candidates for congressional and state elective offices in California. All voters may vote at a voter-nominated primary election for any candidate for congressional and state elective office without regard to the political party preference disclosed by the candidate or the voter, provided that the voter is otherwise qualified to vote for candidates for the office in question. The candidates who are the top two vote-getters at a voter-nominated primary election for a congressional or state elective office shall, regardless of party preference, compete in the ensuing general election.
    (b) Except as otherwise provided by Section 6, a candidate for a congressional or state elective office may have his or her political party preference, or lack of political party preference, indicated upon the ballot for the office in the manner provided by statute. A political party or party central committee shall not nominate a candidate for any congressional or state elective office at the voter-nominated primary. This subdivision shall not be interpreted to prohibit a political party or party central committee from endorsing, supporting, or opposing any candidate for a congressional or state elective office. A political party or party central committee shall not have the right to have its preferred candidate participate in the general election for a voter-nominated office other than a candidate who is one of the two highest vote-getters at the primary election, as provided in subdivision (a).
    (c) The Legislature shall provide for partisan elections for presidential candidates, and political party and party central committees, including an open presidential primary whereby the candidates on the ballot are those found by the Secretary of State to be recognized candidates throughout the nation or throughout California for the office of President of the United States, and those whose names are placed on the ballot by petition, but excluding any candidate who has withdrawn by filing an affidavit of noncandidacy.
    (d) A political party that participated in a primary election for a partisan office pursuant to subdivision (c) has the right to participate in the general election for that office and shall not be denied the ability to place on the general election ballot the candidate who received, at the primary election, the highest vote among that party’s candidates.
    (Sec. 5 amended June 8, 2010, by Prop. 14. Res.Ch. 2, 2009. Operative Jan. 1, 2011.)

    SEC. 6. (a) All judicial, school, county, and city offices, including the Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be nonpartisan.
    (b) A political party or party central committee shall not nominate a candidate for nonpartisan office, and the candidate’s party preference shall not be included on the ballot for the nonpartisan office.
    (Sec. 6 amended June 8, 2010, by Prop. 14. Res.Ch. 2, 2009. Operative Jan. 1, 2011.)
    —
    LEGIS-PARTISAN- PR
    EXECS/JUDICS – NONPARTISAN- APPV
    TOTSOP

  10. CA CONST ART II

    SEC. 2.5. A voter who casts a vote in an election in accordance with the laws of this State shall have that vote counted.
    (Sec. 2.5 added March 5, 2002, by Prop. 43. Res.Ch. 114, 2001.)
    ———————-

    CA — Elections Code section 8600

    ******

    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person may not be a write-in candidate at the general election for a voter-nominated office.

    Source: Section 8600, https://leginfo.¬legislature.¬ca.¬gov/faces/codes_displaySection.-xhtml?lawCode=ELEC§ionNum=8600.¬ (updated Feb. 10, 2012; accessed Dec. 1, 2025).

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