With the June primary a little over a month away, California’s governor’s race remains unsettled after a crowded debate this week that underscored stark partisan differences and a fragmented Democratic field. CBS News hosted the largest debate of the campaign so far, featuring six Democrats and two Republicans vying for attention and positioning ahead of the June 2 jungle primary.
On the Democratic side, former hedge fund executive Tom Steyer and former congresswoman Katie Porter debated with former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state schools chief Tony Thurmond. The Republican podium included former Fox host Steve Hilton, who has an endorsement from Donald Trump, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Recent CBS News polling shows Hilton leading with Steyer close behind; Bianco trails by a few points. The gap between the top two is narrow — about a percentage point — and roughly one-quarter of likely primary voters remain undecided, keeping the outcome very much in flux.
Affordability framed much of the discussion. Candidates answered questions grounded in polling on health care, insurance, education, homelessness and immigration, and repeatedly returned to the rising cost of living. The clearest divide on stage was partisan: Republicans blamed long-running Democratic leadership in Sacramento for the state’s problems and offered tax cuts and other conservative remedies, while Democrats faulted corporate and political interests and pitched reforms to reduce costs and expand services.
Becerra, who served as Biden’s health and human services secretary, has moved up in polls since former Rep. Eric Swalwell left the race and presented himself as a moderate with federal experience. He frequently drew attacks from opponents. In one exchange, Becerra criticized Hilton’s closeness to Trump and urged voters to reject a candidate aligned with the former president’s agenda.
Mahan, the San Jose mayor, positioned himself to the right of many Democrats on stage and pressed Becerra on specifics, including skepticism about a proposed home insurance rate freeze. Porter, campaigning as the only woman in the top tier and speaking from the perspective of a single mother, emphasized child care, housing and the difficulty of homeownership for younger Californians. Porter, who has supported single-payer health care, has slipped in some recent polls and faced scrutiny over past confrontations caught on video and contentious interviews.
Steyer cast himself as the leading change agent in the race, promising to take on corporate special interests he blames for driving up costs. His wealth and prior investments have drawn criticism — Forbes estimates his net worth at about $2.4 billion, and his hedge fund’s past fossil fuel holdings have been cited by critics. Steyer has acknowledged mistakes in those investments and highlights his environmental philanthropy and backing from progressive groups.
A prominent issue beyond the debate itself is a proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ assets that will appear on the November ballot. CBS polling indicates a majority of Californians want the next governor to support such a measure, but views are sharply partisan. Republicans uniformly oppose the tax; among Democrats, positions vary. Becerra, Porter and Villaraigosa have signaled opposition to the ballot measure; Thurmond supports it. Mahan warned that a billionaire tax could stifle innovation, while Steyer said he supports higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy in principle but has reservations about the initiative’s design. Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly opposed the measure, arguing it could harm the state’s economy and budget if wealthy residents leave.
Republican contenders blamed Democratic governance for many of the state’s ills. Both Hilton and Bianco proposed tax cuts, including eliminating the state gas tax — currently among the highest in the nation — a move Democrats on stage rejected as unrealistic or harmful to services.
California’s nonpartisan ‘‘top-two’’ primary means the two candidates receiving the most votes on June 2, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election. The Democratic field’s fragmentation has fueled concerns among some Democrats that the party could be shut out of the general election if the vote splits and two Republicans finish atop the primary. Current polling has several Democrats clustered in the mid-teens with undecided voters still outnumbering supporters of any single candidate, leaving plenty of uncertainty as the campaign heads into its final weeks.