Leading candidates for California governor jostle in critical debate

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Six leading candidates for California governor jostled in a televised debate Wednesday as they sought advantage in a chaotic race with no clear leader.

It's the first time in a generation that California has a wide-open contest for the heavily Democratic state's highest office. Mail ballots are scheduled to go to voters early next month in advance of the June 2 primary election.

The debate brought together the two leading Republicans — conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — and four Democrats: former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter,billionaire Tom Steyer, former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Early questions about homelessness saw a clear break between candidates.

Democrats generally credited outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for dealing with the long-running crisis — California has more people living on the street than any other state. But Republicans said the state has spent billions of dollars with little evidence of progress.

“Everything has taken us in the wrong direction,” Hilton said.

There also were some sharp exchanges, and candidates sought to distinguish themselves from rivals.

Mahan said "The only housing Tom Steyer’s built has been private prisons and ICE detention centers,” echoing criticism that Steyer, a hedge fund founder turned liberal activist, invested in private prisons that today house people picked up in federal immigration raids.

Under California election rules, only the top two vote-getters advance to the November election, regardless of party. Democrats have been fretting for months that a crowded field could result in two Republicans making it to November, a result that would be a historic calamity for Democrats in a famously left-leaning state.

The campaign has just come through an unstable period, with U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell — one of the leading Democrats — leaving the race and Congress following sexual assault allegations that he denies. Another Democrat, former state controller Betty Yee, dropped out Monday after lagging in polls since entering the race in 2024 and then endorsed Steyer. Meanwhile, Becerra picked up the support of Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Tuesday.

Becerra and Mahan were late additions to the debate lineup after Swalwell exited the race. Both candidates have been getting fresh attention — and endorsements — in the reordered contest.

Mahan, meanwhile, has been rolling out advertising to lift his campaign.

Democrats mostly agree on policy issues, including the need to bring down household costs and counter President Donald Trump's agenda. So they will be looking for ways to stand out on stage — either by stressing their own records or trying to sully those of competitors.

Porter, who became a social media celebrity by brandishing a whiteboard at congressional hearings while grilling CEOs, could become the state's first woman governor. Steyer, who in 2020 ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign, is known for his involvement in climate issues. Becerra is the most experienced politician in the group, having served in the Biden administration and as a state attorney general, a congressman and a state legislator. Mahan has been arguing that he has made gains against homelessness and crime while leading Northern California's largest city.

California itself quickly became part of the debate.

Democrats have dominated government in the nation's most populous state for years. Republicans haven't won a statewide election in two decades, and Hilton and Bianco faulted Sacramento's one-sided politics for the state's troubles.

Bianco said Democratic policies were driving up the cost of living. Hilton, while discussing the state's notoriously high tax rates, said, “All the Democrats here are part of this system that obviously isn’t working.”

Polling in late March and early April by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found a cluster of candidates in close competition: Democrats Steyer and Porter, Republicans Hilton and Bianco, and Swalwell. Other candidates were trailing. The polling was conducted before Swalwell withdrew.

Nexstar Media Group is hosting the debate and will air it on its local channels, as well as NewsNation, and stream online via The Hill.