Former California governor, Gray Davis, has stated that he is against the idea of lower-polling Democratic candidates leaving the gubernatorial race, even if it could result in the party being locked out of the election. Davis, who led California from 1999 to 2003, argued that candidates should ignore the state Democratic party's pressure to quit the race. The party wants higher-ranking candidates to consolidate more Democratic votes in the June primary. So many contenders are currently splitting the Democratic vote, leading to only two Republican candidates expected to appear on the November ballot under California's system.