Endorsements

In a top-two primary with eight viable Democrats and two viable Republicans, endorsements this cycle have behaved less like a coronation than a set of hedged bets. The largest institutional players spread their support across several candidates rather than consolidate behind one, and the result is a field in which no Democrat has assembled a unified coalition. The matrix above maps each endorser to the candidate or candidates it backed; the sections below describe the patterns rather than re-list the cells.

Labor split several ways

Organized labor, often the most decisive bloc in a Democratic primary, divided across four candidates. The California Federation of Labor Unions, the state AFL-CIO body, issued a four-way co-endorsement of Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Swalwell. Federation President Lorena Gonzalez said the multi-candidate approach was the only way to clear the organization’s two-thirds delegate threshold, an open acknowledgment that the federation could not unify behind a single name. Because the endorsement was announced before Swalwell suspended his campaign on April 12, it now functions as a three-way endorsement among the remaining candidates.

SEIU California co-endorsed Xavier Becerra and Steyer. The big teacher and nurse unions went elsewhere: the California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Teachers and the California Nurses Association all backed Steyer. Notably, CTA and CFT did not endorse Tony Thurmond, the sitting state Superintendent of Public Instruction. A separate slice of labor lined up behind Porter, including Teamsters California, UAW Region 6, the National Union of Healthcare Workers and a set of transit and trades locals. Villaraigosa drew the building-trades lane, with the State Building and Construction Trades Council, PORAC and several construction-trade councils.

The health sector divided too: nurses (CNA) backed Steyer, physicians (the California Medical Association) backed Becerra, and healthcare workers (NUHW) backed Porter. The California Faculty Association issued a shared endorsement of Becerra and Thurmond, Thurmond’s only listed institutional backing.

One rescission

The cycle’s single rescission came after April 10 reporting on sexual-misconduct allegations against Swalwell. On April 11, SEIU California withdrew its endorsement of him, citing its identity as a union predominantly made up of women; Swalwell suspended his campaign the next day. Several officials who had backed him, including U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez as a campaign co-chair, also stepped back. The federation’s four-way co-endorsement still names him but is moot for an inactive candidacy.

Advocacy groups and the elected ranks

Issue and advocacy groups largely sorted between Becerra and Steyer. Becerra drew reproductive-rights, LGBTQ+ and immigrant-rights organizations: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Equality California and the CHIRLA Action Fund. Steyer collected the climate-and-left grassroots: Sierra Club California, Courage California, Our Revolution, and a California chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America that listed him as the most progressive viable candidate while criticizing his wealth. California Environmental Voters co-endorsed Porter and Steyer.

The housing movement divided internally: California YIMBY, the policy arm, declined to single-endorse and called four Democrats credible, while YIMBY Action, the grassroots arm, endorsed Steyer. Among elected officials, Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed Porter, a former student of hers, and LA Mayor Karen Bass endorsed Villaraigosa. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi and California’s sitting U.S. senators have not endorsed in the primary.

Newspapers and the Republican field

Porter drew the major newspaper editorial endorsements, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Sacramento Bee and McClatchy California (per the Porter campaign), and the Bay Area Reporter. The Santa Barbara Independent endorsed Steyer on housing and climate grounds. The Los Angeles Times had not issued a located primary endorsement as of May 25.

On the Republican side, President Trump endorsed Steve Hilton on April 6. The California Republican Party convention then failed to endorse: Chad Bianco took 49 percent and Hilton 44 percent of the endorsement vote, neither reaching the party’s 60 percent threshold, so no party endorsement was issued.