Overview

• Atkins announced her withdrawal Monday, telling supporters there was “no viable path forward to victory.”
• Her campaign said she will not seek another office this cycle and she did not endorse a candidate.
• Despite reporting roughly $4.2–$4.3 million on hand, recent Berkeley and Emerson polls showed her support stuck in the low single digits.
• Her exit follows Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis stepping out in August, with the race still featuring Democrats Katie Porter, Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Thurmond, Betty Yee and Ian Calderon, plus Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.
• California’s top-two primary raises concerns about vote-splitting on the left, while Atkins departs with a legacy as former Assembly speaker and Senate president pro tem who helped author the 2022 abortion-rights measure Proposition 1.