The California gubernatorial primary is characterized by a volatile field of candidates, with former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra currently maintaining a narrow lead in polling and prediction markets.

加州州長初選的候選人局面相當不穩定，前美國衛生及公共服務部長 Xavier Becerra 目前在民調與預測市場中保持微弱領先。

The current political landscape was significantly altered following the withdrawal of Eric Swalwell, which facilitated Becerra's ascent in public opinion surveys. However, this prominence has rendered him the primary target of both partisan and intra-party critiques. A central point of contention involves the administrative record of Becerra during his tenure at the Department of Health and Human Services. Former administration officials have alleged a deficiency in executive capability, specifically citing suboptimal coordination of public health messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic, inadequate responses to the baby formula shortage, and systemic failures in managing the influx of unaccompanied minors at the U.S.-Mexico border. Conversely, supporters such as former Secretary Jennifer Granholm and adviser Neera Tanden have characterized his leadership as courageous and effective, noting achievements in Medicare drug negotiations and the expansion of healthcare coverage.

在 Eric Swalwell 退出後，目前的政治格局發生了顯著變化，這促進了 Becerra 在民調中的上升。然而，這種顯著地位也使他成為黨派及黨內批評的主要目標。爭論的核心在於 Becerra 在衛生及公共服務部任職期間的行政紀錄。前政府官員指責其缺乏執行能力，特別引用了 COVID-19 疫情期間公共衛生訊息協調不佳、對嬰兒配方奶粉短缺反應不足，以及在管理美墨邊境無人陪伴未成年人湧入時的系統性失敗。相反，如前部長 Jennifer Granholm 和顧問 Neera Tanden 等支持者則將其領導風格形容為勇敢且有效，並指出他在 Medicare 藥品談判和擴大醫療保障方面取得的成就。

Concurrent with these policy critiques, Becerra's campaign has been compromised by legal irregularities. Two former associates, Dana Williamson and Sean McCluskie, have pleaded guilty to the misappropriation of approximately $225,000 from a dormant campaign account. While federal prosecutors have not implicated Becerra in these criminal activities, political opponents, including Katie Porter and Steve Hilton, have posited that such lapses in oversight indicate a failure of judgment or suggest the possibility of future indictments. Furthermore, Becerra's media engagement strategies have been scrutinized following an interaction with KTLA, which rivals have characterized as an attempt to evade rigorous journalistic inquiry.

與這些政策批評同步的是，Becerra 的競選活動受到法律違規問題的影響。兩名前助理 Dana Williamson 和 Sean McCluskie 已承認挪用了一個休眠競選帳戶中約 22.5 萬美元的款項。雖然聯邦檢察官尚未指控 Becerra 參與這些刑事活動，但包括 Katie Porter 和 Steve Hilton 在內的政治對手認為，這種監督疏失表明其判斷力不足，或暗示未來可能被起訴。此外，Becerra 在與 KTLA 互動後，其媒體應對策略受到質疑，對手將其形容為企圖逃避嚴格的新聞質詢。

Parallel to the challenges facing Becerra, other candidates are employing distinct strategic modalities. Tom Steyer has utilized substantial personal capital—estimated at $132 million to $180 million—to fund an extensive advertising campaign. This strategy has attracted regulatory scrutiny via a complaint filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission, alleging that Steyer's campaign failed to ensure that paid social media influencers disclosed their financial arrangements, potentially violating a 2023 California disclosure law. Meanwhile, Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco have maintained a cooperative posture toward one another while diverging on climate change, with Bianco rejecting anthropogenic climate drivers and Hilton advocating for a pragmatic rather than ideological environmental approach.

在 Becerra 面臨挑戰的同時，其他候選人採取了不同的策略模式。Tom Steyer 利用了大量個人資金——估計在 1.32 億至 1.8 億美元之間——來資助大規模的廣告活動。這一策略引起了監管部門的關注，有人向公平政治實踐委員會（FPPC）提出申訴，指控 Steyer 的競選團隊未能確保受雇的社群媒體影響力人士披露其財務安排，可能違反了 2023 年加州的披露法。同時，共和黨候選人 Steve Hilton 和 Chad Bianco 對彼此保持合作姿態，但在氣候變化上存在分歧，Bianco 否認人為氣候驅動因素，而 Hilton 則主張採取務實而非意識形態的環保方法。

The race remains unsettled as the June 2 primary approaches, with the top two candidates advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

隨著 6 月 2 日初選臨近，競選結果仍未定，無論黨派隸屬，前兩名候選人將晉級至大選。