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Leading candidates for California governor face off in another high-stakes debate

May 7, 2026

Several leading candidates for governor took to the debate stage again Wednesday night for part two of a two-night, back-to-back matchup this week as they sought to establish themselves as the person voters should elect as California’s next chief executive.

With ballots already starting to land in voters’ mailboxes and early voting having begun, it was clear those on stage recognized what was at stake with Wednesday’s debate — arguably a make-or-break moment for at least some of the candidates.

It featured the same seven candidates who squared off the night before, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton, both Republicans. The Democratic lineup included former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter, billionaire environmental advocate Tom Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The event was hosted by KNBC Channel 4 and Telemundo 52, in partnership with Loyola Marymount University, and held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The hourlong event covered issues ranging from home insurance to homelessness, immigration and affordability issues.

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton talks with media after a debate at the Skirball Cultural Center on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton talks with media after a debate at the Skirball Cultural Center on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Not surprisingly, Becerra — who has been surging in poll numbers in recent weeks and is now leading among the Democratic candidates in the California Democratic Party’s most recent poll — continued to be attacked by his fellow Democratic candidates on Wednesday night.

Much like the night before, he fended off criticisms about his handling of migrant children during his tenure as health secretary under the Biden administration.

Becerra blamed reports about how migrant children were treated on “Trump lies.”

“We protected kids,” he said.

And also like Tuesday night, Porter threw a punch at Steyer.

“Billionaire Tom Steyer says that California is the best place to do business, and I guess it was for him because he became a billionaire,” she said.

Steyer, meanwhile, sought to establish himself as the progressive candidate on the stage, noting that large corporations are spending huge sums of money to run attack ads against him because he will stand up to them.

Meanwhile, the two Republicans on stage refrained from attacking each other too much and instead focused most of their remarks on blaming Democrats and what they characterized as California’s “one-party rule,” which they said has resulted in the state’s affordability crisis.

Democrats’ policies “are exactly why you can’t afford to live here anymore,” Bianco said.

“The policies that the (Democrats) on this stage are proposing to all of you is just a repeat of all the problems that got us here in the first place,” he added.

Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, said, “The California dream happened when we had a Republican governor.”

It’s unclear whether Wednesday’s debate moved the needle much or at all for voters.

Based on the California Democratic Party poll, conducted Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 2, 14% of survey respondents were undecided about who to vote for. Meanwhile, 4 percentage points separated the two Republicans and 10 percentage points separated the three top Democrats included in that poll, Becerra, Steyer and Porter.

California’s jungle primary means the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November runoff election, where voters will decide who will replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California’s primary election will take place on June 2.

Leading candidates for California governor face off in another high-stakes debate Orange County Register

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Leading candidates for California governor face off in another high-stakes debate

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