The ballooning field of Democratic candidates to succeed the term-limited Gavin Newsom as governor of California has political operatives stunned. "This is as wide open as I've ever seen anything in 25 years," said Steven Maviglio, a Sacramento-based Democratic strategist. The challenge for those running will be proving to voters they can tackle California's cost-of-living crisis, as well as fill the high-profile void Newsom will leave behind as a national leader in Democrats' fight against President Donald Trump. Last week, Rep. Eric Swalwell, who made a name for himself as an anti-Trump firebrand in the House of Representatives and launched a short-lived bid for the White House in 2020, announced his campaign for governor on ABC’s "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," telling Kimmel that California "nee

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