With less than a week before ballots hit mailboxes, top contenders in California's governor race traded sharp jabs Tuesday night, but none managed to land a decisive blow. The debate, hosted by CBS News at Pomona College, featured eight candidates, including former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, billionaire Tom Steyer, and Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton, who continues to lead in recent polls.
The stakes have risen since former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies. Swalwell's exit opened a lane for Becerra, who had been polling in the lower tier. In the wake of that departure, Becerra surged in some surveys, tying with former Rep. Katie Porter and trailing only Steyer and Hilton. But the debate failed to produce a breakout moment, leaving the race fluid.
According to a CBS News/YouGov poll released Monday, Hilton leads with 16 percent, followed by Steyer at 15 percent. Becerra and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco each garnered double-digit support. An EMC Research poll, commissioned by a pro-Becerra super PAC and shared by Politico on Tuesday, showed Becerra and Hilton tied at 19 percent, with Steyer and Bianco at 14 percent each.
Steyer has targeted Becerra's rise, criticizing his acceptance of donations from Chevron and labeling him a career politician. Becerra fired back, vowing not to let billionaires buy the election. The two Democrats clashed repeatedly, with Becerra also taking aim at Hilton, calling President Trump “Hilton's daddy.” Hilton shot back, saying, “We can't have a governor who doesn't understand how the government works,” to which Becerra retorted, “And we don't need a talking head from Fox News to tell us how the government works.”
Democratic strategist Garry South, a veteran of multiple California gubernatorial campaigns, predicted the runoff would feature either Steyer or Becerra. “Ballots go out next week. The election is barely a month away. Even if you happen to have a breakout moment in a debate like this, it doesn't push you up the ranks sufficiently to be competitive,” South said. He added that Becerra walked away “largely unscathed,” parrying attacks effectively.
The debate was marked by cross talk and interruptions, prompting Porter to compare the exchanges to “worse than my teenagers at dinner.” A student posing a question called it “a bit of a mess.” Republican strategist Mike Madrid posted on X that Porter and Becerra emerged “better,” while Steyer and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan fared “worse.”
Other candidates, including State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, also participated after failing to meet the polling threshold for last week's debate. The crowded field underscores the challenge Democrats face in consolidating support ahead of the June 2 primary, where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.
For more on the chaos in California's political landscape, including the governor race and House fights, read our analysis here. Additionally, a new poll details how Hilton and Steyer lead the crowded race, as reported here.
