LOS ANGELES — The antsy field of Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls has started sending an increasingly sharp message to former Vice President Kamala Harris: Let’s get this show on the road. After weeks of silence about Harris’ leisurely timeline to decide whether she’d run for governor, her potential rivals are starting to chafe at being trapped in their current purgatory — a calcified contest with major funders and interest groups staying on the sidelines. Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor who is trying to carve a center-left lane in the crowded field, challenged Harris outright to make up her mind in a public appearance this week moderated by POLITICO.
“The time is now,” Villaraigosa said, after declaring the upcoming governor’s race would not be a “coronation.” “The challenges are too big. We deserve a real conversation.
We had a 100-day campaign. So no, you can't get in at the end of the rainbow. Get in now,” he said.
Villaraigosa’s jab was a rare jolt in a race that has been largely defined by paralysis. Candidate fundraising has dried up, and the behind-the-scenes rumor mill had been more fixated on how a potential Harris entry could send the candidates scurrying to seek other offices downballot . But the restless rumblings have not been confined to Villaraigosa.
Former state controller Betty Yee, an underdog in the race, issued an implicit challenge to Harris this week to make up her mind. “Our state cannot wait for the robu.
