Commentary: Chaos is the leader in California's hot mess of a governor's race

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SACRAMENTO — Eric Swalwell is out — of the California gubernatorial race and Congress, spending time with family, as they say, after allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.That could be considered good news for the slew of Democrats who remain in the running, and even the two Republicans currently polling near the top.But this muddled campaign season has clearly failed to capture voters’ imagination.

This despite a sex scandal, a billionaire spending his millions, a dark horse spending tech-bro millions, a debate where the invitations were so controversial the event was canceled and a sheriff seizing ballots in a failed MAGA-pandering stunt.(President Trump ended up backing his opponent.)After all that, you’d think Californians would care, at least in a spectacle sort of way.

But they don’t.At least not yet.

So is “undecided” going to remain the leader in the race until voters are forced to fill in their ballots? Even Republicans, with the Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco as their main choices, can’t make up their minds.Times columnists Anita Chabria and Mark Z.

Barabak ponder why the race is such a hot mess, who benefits from the Swalwell implosion, whether anyone will ever get excited about any of these candidates — and what all that means for the future of California.Chabria: We are less than 50 days out from the primary on June 2 and somehow this race remains both boring and unpredictable.

There’s lots of talk about whether the two remaining top Democratic candidates, former Rep.Katie Porter and billionaire investor Tom Steyer, will scoop up Swalwell’s supporters — or if a second-tier contender such as San José Mayor Matt Mahan, former state Atty.

Gen.Xavier Becerra or ex-L.A.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may rise from the near-dead with a surprise surge.With such a short amount of time and candidates who have a...