Politics

California Governor Candidates Clash in First Debate

By Mike Harper · April 23, 2026

The California governor’s race is wide open, the June 2 primary is weeks away, and Wednesday night’s debate in San Francisco did little to change that.

Six candidates — four Democrats and two Republicans — squared off in the first major debate since former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s sudden exit from the race two weeks ago. Swalwell had been considered a leading Democratic contender before sexual misconduct allegations surfaced; he denied wrongdoing but resigned both from the race and his House seat. His departure scrambled a field that was already crowded, and Wednesday’s debate reflected a contest where no single candidate has broken through.

The four Democrats on stage — former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, billionaire Tom Steyer, Rep. Katie Porter, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — spent much of the night drawing contrasts with President Trump rather than with each other. The two Republicans — conservative commentator Steve Hilton, who carries a Trump endorsement, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — attacked California’s Democratic leadership and defended a partnership with the federal government.

Becerra, who would be the state’s first Hispanic governor in modern history, stumbled when he accidentally referred to Trump’s conflict in Iran as the “war in Iraq” — a slip his rivals’ campaigns seized on immediately. Porter, who became a national figure by grilling corporate executives at congressional hearings, sought to reset a candidacy that has struggled since a video surfaced last fall showing her berating a staffer. She acknowledged the incident directly.

“I apologized that day to that staffer four years ago and I took responsibility then,” Porter said, before using the moment to contrast her response with Becerra, whom she accused of failing to investigate rumors about Swalwell when both served in Congress.

Becerra was pressed on that question by debate moderators.

“Yeah, you hear rumors all the time about all sorts of things,” he said, offering no direct answer on whether he had heard specific allegations about Swalwell.

Steyer, who has seen a polling boost since Swalwell’s exit and has spent more than $120 million on his own campaign, leaned into progressive messaging on climate, corporate accountability, and Trump. Mahan, the least nationally known of the four Democrats, positioned himself as a pragmatic local executive who had made measurable gains on homelessness and crime in San Jose.

Hilton, the Trump-endorsed Republican, staked out the sharpest contrast with the Democratic field.

“It will benefit every Californian to have a governor who is a partner with the federal government,” Hilton said, defending his alignment with Trump in a state the president lost by 20 points in 2024.

No clear frontrunner emerged. Mail ballots go out to California voters on May 4. The top two finishers in the June 2 primary — regardless of party — advance to a head-to-head matchup in the fall. CNN will host a second debate on May 5.

Democrat Betty Yee also dropped out of the race this week, further consolidating a field that remains, despite everything, without a dominant candidate.