California's wide-open gubernatorial race got its first real test Wednesday night when six candidates took the debate stage, but the evening produced no breakout moment and left the contest as fractured as ever with just over two weeks until the June 2 primary.
The field consists of two Republicans, Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host and ex-strategist to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, alongside four leading Democrats: billionaire Tom Steyer, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, ex-Congresswoman Katie Porter, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
The debate came days after Eric Swalwell dropped out following sexual assault and misconduct allegations, an implosion that reshuffled an already unstable race where nearly 25 percent of voters remain undecided.
The Democrats spent most of the two-hour clash jousting with each other over housing, inflation, and how best to counter Trump, while broadly accepting Newsom's record on major issues. Porter gave the outgoing governor a "B" on his handling of homelessness, only to draw fire from Hilton, who said he'd give the same governor an "F" and mocked the grading scheme.
Hilton, polling ahead of his rivals and recently blessed by Trump's endorsement, hammered what he called 16 years of failed Democratic rule. "The system is not working," he declared, a message that gained traction even as Republicans face a two-to-one voter disadvantage across the state.
On the Democratic side, several candidates aimed at Steyer, who has poured his personal fortune into dominating the airwaves. Mahan landed a pointed blow, accusing Steyer of investing in private prisons and immigration detention centers. Steyer acknowledged past regrets over his hedge fund's investments and shot back that fellow billionaires were spending heavily to defeat him, particularly Silicon Valley executives backing Mahan.
Porter tackled a viral video showing her in a tense exchange with a staffer, saying the interaction "wasn't the right way to treat someone" and pledging to work better with her team. Mahan leaned into his tech credentials, arguing his Silicon Valley roots uniquely positioned him to navigate artificial intelligence policy.
Becerra deflected a question about whether he should have acted on rumors about Swalwell's conduct while chairing the Democratic caucus, calling rumors "not facts" and praising the women who came forward. Swalwell has denied all allegations and resigned from Congress last week.
Bianco faced questioning over his recent seizure of more than half a million ballots from a special election, claiming it was a routine probe even after California's Supreme Court blocked his investigation. He doubled down on election security concerns, insisting "we're never going to know if our elections are secure."
Perhaps the most revealing moment came when Bianco, when asked whether he'd support Hilton in a general election, said no because he believed both Republicans would advance. All other candidates pledged to back their party's nominee. That statement underscored Democrats' real anxiety: California's "jungle primary" system, which advances the top two vote-getters regardless of party, could theoretically send two Republicans to November, an outcome unthinkable in a state with a 2-to-1 Democratic registration advantage.
State party chair Rusty Hicks has privately urged underperforming Democrats to drop out, though late-stage withdrawals mean candidates' names will still appear on ballots. Betty Yee, a former state controller, suspended her campaign Monday and endorsed Steyer. Swalwell's name will also remain on the ballot despite his exit.
Hilton's endorsement from Trump, while energizing his base, cuts against the grain in a state where nearly two-thirds of voters disapprove of the former president. Hilton claimed the backing would benefit all Californians by aligning the governor's office with Trump's agenda. The math suggests otherwise: Republican candidates need to peel away significant Democratic support or consolidate independent voters to have any realistic shot.
The debate offered little to reset the trajectory of a race shaped more by Swalwell's collapse and Steyer's spending than by policy distinctions. With mail-in ballots arriving in less than two weeks, candidates are gambling that late momentum could still reshape the field.
Author James Rodriguez: "This debate confirmed what we already knew: no Democrat has locked down the party's backing, Republicans are still long shots despite chaos, and the real battle is happening off-stage with money and endorsements."
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