The top-polling candidates took to the debate stage for the biggest and most “diverse” debate yet. As the California gubernatorial election is fast approaching and ballots are set to be mailed next week, this debate set the stage for the front-runners to represent both parties.
Hosted by CBS in the Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College, Tuesday’s debate gave Californians a good look at the candidates who are running to be their next governor.
The candidates included former state legislator and current California Superintendent Tony Thurmond (D), Former Orange County Representative Katie Porter (D), Fox News Contributor and President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Steve Hilton (R), former Secretary of Health and Human Services, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D), Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R), Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan (D), billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer (D) and former Los Angeles Mayor and speaker of the California Assembly Antonio Villaragosa.
The forum was dominated by economic concerns, focusing on soaring gas prices, housing affordability and healthcare. Mahan framed one of the central disputes, calling California’s gas tax “the most regressive tax in California,” while Democrat Becerra defended the need for revenue, saying, “You have to fund it somehow.”
Candidates also seized the opportunity to distinguish themselves from their competitors through broader policy visions. Porter pointed to her support for systemic reform, describing herself as a “champion” of single-payer health care, while Steyer proposed “a windfall profits tax on oil companies” to address energy costs.
At times, the format struggled to keep the program flowing smoothly, with frequent interruptions and candidates talking over one another.
“I am not afraid to cut mics,” a CBS moderator warned as exchanges became difficult to manage.
The debate reflected a race that is still taking shape, with leading candidates offering competing approaches to California’s affordability challenges, but few opportunities for sustained contrast as the crowded stage and frequent interruptions from other candidates limited engagement and constructive back-and-forth to clarify the differences between candidates.
With voting approaching, the event highlighted the stakes of the election while leaving the outcome uncertain in a still-fragmented field.
