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Former MSNOW anchor Joy Reid said on “The Joy Reid Show” that California Democrats failed to properly vet the gubernatorial field, allowing two Republican candidates to remain at the top of the race, while broader concerns about the Democratic Alliance’s readiness were not addressed.
Reid couched his criticism in terms of race issues, warning that control of California was key to Democratic electoral success.
“What we really care about here on these streets is that California is not going Republican,” he said.
Reid emphasized the importance of the state to the president’s politics, saying Democrats cannot afford to make mistakes in such an important area.
Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco (left) and business leader Steve Hilton (right), both Republicans, ranked as the top two incumbents for California gubernatorial office in the latest Berkeley IGS poll. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images; Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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“You can’t run for president as a Democrat outside of California,” Reid said. “Do you see how many votes there are in the electoral college? That number is 54.”
Part turned to his concerns about the Democratic Alliance’s strategy, as Reid questioned whether party officials had done enough research and opposition research during the primary.
“Don’t you have an oppo research unit within the Democratic Governor’s Association?” Reid asked.
Los Angeles, CA – January 6: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor of California, joins Kate Monroe, a veterans attorney, on a tour of Skid Row in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)
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He argued that internal failures allowed “flawed” Democratic candidates to advance, while the GOP continued to compete in the race.
“If you let California fall into the hands of someone we can’t guarantee you’ll run for a free and fair election in the state of California,” Reid said. “Then you know what, Democrat, that could be for you if 2028 is cooked because you all let Eric Swalwell get to the front of the line without a basic vet.”
Reid said he had learned that the opposition study was being prepared by political opponents but had not yet been made public, raising questions about the timing.
Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, the winner of the recent California sheriff’s election, accused Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democrats “sick and twisted love affair with criminals.” (Getty Images)
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“I learned at the weekend that there were people who were preparing a lot of oppo on the right side to dump this boy when he got close to the primary school,” he said.
“They would wait until now before elementary school,” Reid said. “The Democratic Party. What is the plan here?”
Reid also emphasized the broader national implications, comparing the importance of California to Democrats and Texas to Republicans.
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“In the same way that if the Republicans ever lost 40 electoral college votes in Texas, they could not win the election. The same goes for the Democrats in California,” he said.
“Didn’t you think that maybe you should leak into the system and maybe have some problems?” he asked.
Fox News Digital reached out to the California Democratic Party for comment, but did not immediately respond.
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