… Today there is very little in the tangible metrics of modern politics that would suggest Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco and lieutenant governor, will not receive at least 50 percent of votes cast. He has far more money than his opponents, far more potential voters, the power of incumbency and long experience. …
As of Friday, nearly a quarter of all vote-by-mail ballots had been returned, showing Democrats sending them in by a 2-to-1 margin over Republicans. … But despite the returns and new polls appearing to point toward a Newsom victory, many leading Democrats have expressed unabashed public frustration that in a state so overwhelming blue the race is still so close. Republicans cannot even claim second place with voters; “declining to state a preference” is the second-largest voting bloc. CONTINUED
Scott Wilson, Washington Post
The OPINION TODAY email newsletter is a concise daily rundown of significant new poll results and insightful analysis. It’s FREE. Sign up here: opiniontoday.substack