California's Primary Has Ushered a New Mandate: Time to Move Beyond Ideology to Governing Competence

California's June 2026 primary saw voters favor candidates focused on governing competence over ideological messaging, with San Francisco's moderate coalition consolidating around Mayor Daniel Lurie as the progressive machine fractured. A one-time tax on the state's wealthiest residents could be the first statewide test of whether that shift extends beyond the city.