ESPN analyst and political commentator Stephen A. Smith argued on Wednesday that Republican success in both California's gubernatorial race and Los Angeles' mayoral race would be an indictment of the Democratic Party, particularly Gov. Gavin Newsom.
He went on to explain how far-reaching such a Republican victory could be, explaining that it could serve to shatter Newsom's hopes of running for president in 2028.
Stephen A. Smith delivers a BRUTAL wake-up call to his own party.
— Overton (@overton_news) June 4, 2026
He said Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt’s performances in California are an INDICTMENT of Democrats everywhere — and if they win, Gavin Newsom’s chance of becoming president in 2028 is “ZERO.”
SMITH: “A message… pic.twitter.com/hd4tGpC1Hi
"A message has been sent, and that message has been sent is very, very simple," Smith said. "If people in a blue state like California are entertaining seriously about putting Republicans in charge, gubernatorially and mayorally, could you imagine what other states in this union are contemplating doing? Could you imagine what an indictment that is against Democrats everywhere?"
"Let me tell you something right now. If Hilton wins the gubernatorial race and Pratt wins the mayor's seat in New York, Gavin Newsom. Zero," he said. "If that happens. If that happens, he has no chance. Because to indict California is to indict him. He's been governor since 2018. Fair or unfair, that's how it is. And everybody needs to accept that. That's the way it goes."
California, which has been a Democratic stronghold for decades, has long been considered out of reach for Republicans, many of whom have increasingly felt abandoned by the national Republican Party. The lack of meaningful Republican opposition, in part, has allowed the state to move further left, turning major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles into testing grounds for progressive policies that much of the country views as failures, failures many of the state's Democratic leaders remain unwilling to acknowledge.
Yet Republican Steve Hilton currently leads in the state's gubernatorial race, and Spencer Pratt is expected to advance in Los Angeles' mayoral race to officially face off against Mayor Karen Bass in November. While votes will take weeks to tally, both candidates are expected to advance and are even performing strongly in traditionally blue areas.
A Republican victory, even if only in the primaries, is set to send a message that California Republicans are no longer willing to stand by as progressives continue to drive the state's decline. As Smith argued, it would also serve as an indictment not only of Democrats in California but also of Democrats nationwide, as a state once considered untouchable for the party begins to show signs of political realignment.