Former state Controller Betty Yee drops out of the governor's race

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Former state Controller Betty Yee dropped out of the governor’s race on Monday, citing low levels of support from voters and donors.Yee, a Democrat, was part of a sprawling field of politicians vying to replace termed-out Gov.Gavin Newsom.

But despite the bevy of prominent candidates running to lead the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy, this year’s governor’s race has lacked a clear front-runner well known by the electorate.“It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there.Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on as well,” Yee said in a virtual news conference Monday morning, adding that her internal polling showed voters did not prioritize “competence and experience … and that’s really been my wheelhouse in terms of how we grounded this campaign.”The former two-term state controller did not immediately endorse another candidate and said she would take a few days to assess the field before making an announcement.The race was upended this month when then-Rep.

Eric Swalwell, among the leading Democrats in the contest, was accused of sexual assault and other misconduct.The East Bay Area Democrat, who is facing multiple criminal investigations, promptly ended his gubernatorial bid and resigned from Congress.Yee said the contest would probably go down as “one of the most unusual, unpredictable and unsettling races in modern California history.”“I certainly could not have imagined the twists and the disturbing turns that this race has taken,” she said.

“But through it all, my values and my vision for California has never wavered.” California The wide-open race to succeed Gavin Newsom as California governor has attracted a large and diverse field of candidates.“Voters are scared right now, and I think they really are placing a lot of prominence on a fighter in chief a...