How California’s ‘top 2’ Primary Election Works

In most states, Super Tuesday is all about selecting the top Democrat and the leading Republican for a November matchup.

Not in California. Under the state’s top-two primary system, the first and second place finishers advance, regardless of their party affiliation — a system voters enacted over a decade ago, over the strenuous objections of both parties.

In a few critical races, candidates are striving to avoid a same-party top two. Lockout fears loom in competitive seats, where too many challengers threaten to fracture the vote. For candidates in safe seats, getting an opposite-party opponent would be a victory that effectively ends the contest in March.

Take the Central Valley district held by GOP Rep. David Valadao. Democrats are eager to flip the seat but are confronting the possibility that neither Democratic candidate will advance to the general election. The DCCC is spending millions to avoid that nightmare scenario, in which the two Democratic candidates — former Assemblymember Rudy Salas and state Sen. Melissa Hurtado — split the vote enough that Valadao and his Republican challenger, Chris Mathys, finish first and second in the primary.

Republican groups are also spending big in that district’s primary. They want to avoid a Republican lockout, but mostly are focused on ensuring that Valadao, who has proven his ability to win in a Democratic-leaning district, advances instead of Mathys, a far-right candidate who has not shown crossover appeal.

In the U.S. Senate contest, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff would be delighted to face Republican Steve Garvey in the November general election — a much easier opponent than Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in resolutely blue California. That’s why Schiff and his allies are spending millions to boost Garvey, who is now polling in the top two, ahead of Porter.

The same strategy has been used by Republicans in the race to replace ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, where allies of Vince Fong, a GOP state lawmaker and McCarthy pick, have worked to elevate the Democrat. In a solidly red district, that would mean Fong has essentially punched his ticket.