California Senate Race, What to Know

For the first time in recent memory, there may not be a Republican name on the ballot for the Senate seat come November.

There are 34 candidates vying for the seat vacated by Barbara Boxer upon her retirement. Twelve are Republicans, 15 are third-party candidates and seven are Democrats, but only two Democrats stand a chance at being elected.

In polls leading to the primary Tuesday, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Rep. Loretta Sanchez are the only two with support above the single digits. If either is elected, California will have a woman of color representing the state. Currently, the only woman of color in the Senate is Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono

Harris, considered the front-runner, is of Jamaican and Indian descent, while Sanchez is of Mexican descent.

The majority of California population are people of color. Of likely voters, 39 percent are people of color, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

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What may not be on the ballot, however, is a Republican name. Under the state's top-two primary system, if no candidate received more than 51 percent of the vote, only the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the November election. Most polls show Harris and Sanchez in first and second place, respectively.

Harris has a better name recognition in the state. She served as district attorney in San Francisco before being elected as California Attorney General in 2011. Harris also has the endorsement of the California Democratic Party and Gov. Jerry Brown.

Sanchez, who served for 20 years in Congress in Orange County, has the endorsement of most of her congressional colleagues in Southern California, including Rep. Alan Lowenthal and Rep. Juan Vargas, as well as former Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamente.

Political analysts say both women are considered progressives and in order for Sanchez to overtake Harris in the primary, she needs to show voters she's a centrist and not try to "out-progressive" Harris.