California Democrats fear a 2028 all‑Republican governor race under the state’s top‑two open primary. Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio filed “Undo the Top Two,” a ballot initiative that would replace the system with separate party primaries. The proposal seeks to protect the Democratic majority in a state that rarely flips parties.

The current rule, adopted in 2010, lets the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to November. In 2024, polls showed two Republicans—former Fox host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco—leading the crowded field, while eight Democrats split the vote. That scenario prompted Maviglio’s alarm.

Support for the repeal crosses party lines. Labor unions, the California Federation of Labor Unions president Lorena Gonzalez, and Republicans like former GOP chair Ron Nehring back the measure, citing the system’s failure to elect moderates and its effect on business‑friendly lawmakers. The initiative must win voter approval in 2028.

If the ballot measure passes, California would join a handful of states that have reverted to traditional primaries, reshaping campaign finance and candidate strategy. Business interests that have benefited from the top‑two system—such as the Chamber of Commerce—may face a new electoral environment that could alter lobbying dynamics and policy outcomes.