Xavier Becerra faced immediate scrutiny over his knowledge of Eric Swalwell's misconduct during the first gubernatorial debate since the former congressman's abrupt exit from the race. Moderators pressed Becerra on what he knew about Swalwell's behavior and whether he should have taken action when he chaired the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017.
Becerra, who served as President Biden's health and human services secretary, defended his position by distinguishing between gossip and evidence. "Rumors are not facts, and the Democratic caucus is not the place that adjudicates those things," he said Wednesday night. "It's law enforcement who does."
Swalwell had been the frontrunner in the Democratic primary before resigning from Congress last week following sexual assault allegations. His departure has scrambled the field, with Becerra emerging as an unexpected beneficiary. Polling released this week showed him jumping from 4 percent to 13 percent among likely voters, a significant shift in a crowded Democratic primary.
The 90-minute debate, held partly on television and partly online, centered on California's cost-of-living crisis. Democrats blamed Republicans and Trump-era policies for high gas taxes and inflation, while the two Republicans on stage, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, attacked Democratic governance as punitive and overregulated.
Becerra's rising profile made him a target for fellow Democrats. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan dismissed him as a "D.C. insider who the Sacramento establishment is now rallying around." Former Rep. Katie Porter went further, criticizing his lack of specifics. "Mr. Becerra, you have all these lovely plans, but there are never any numbers, any revenue plan, any details," she said.
Becerra countered by highlighting his executive experience as California's attorney general from 2017 to 2021 and his four years balancing the federal health agency budget. When Hilton derided him as a career politician, Becerra shot back: "It's fascinating to see that he can do all these things, but he's talking about not collecting any revenue to be able to do any of this work. It doesn't add up."
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer remains atop Democratic polling despite attacks on his wealth. He defended his candidacy by positioning himself as a billionaire willing to tax other billionaires. "I'm the billionaire who wants to tax other billionaires. I'm the billionaire who's taking on the electric monopolies and trying to break up their power," Steyer said.
The race carries unusual stakes for California. Only the top two finishers advance to a runoff, a system that has Democrats worried about party fragmentation. With so many Democratic candidates splitting votes, Republican candidates could lock out Democrats entirely and face each other in the June 2 general election.
Homelessness emerged as a dividing line. Hilton attacked Gov. Gavin Newsom's record, giving him an "F" and claiming the governor's photo ops changed nothing. He called for enforcing anti-camping laws and moving people into treatment programs. Porter objected strenuously, noting that many homeless Californians work full-time, and that families fleeing domestic violence, overcrowded living situations, and college students living in cars make up a significant portion of the homeless population.
Hilton, endorsed by Donald Trump, touted his relationship with the president as an asset and said he would leverage it on forest management and energy production. He described becoming a U.S. citizen as one of the proudest moments of his life and called Trump's backing a "deep honor."
Steyer also faced the wealth question head-on, noting that corporate money opposing him dwarfs his own spending. "The billionaires and corporations are spending big in this race to oppose me," he said.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Becerra's sudden surge shows how fragile frontrunner status is in a fractured primary, and whether his momentum survives further scrutiny remains the open question."
Comments