Rivals for California Governor to Meet in only Scheduled Debate as Mail Ballots Go to Voters
Becerra leads Hilton in polling as the candidates clash over cost of living, AI safeguards and competing plans for California's film industry.
- Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will debate Wednesday night at CNN's Burbank studio, facing off on affordability and other key issues as they compete to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- A Public Policy Institute survey conducted in early September found Becerra leading 60% to 38% among likely voters, forcing Hilton to convince independent voters to move past his endorsement by President Donald Trump.
- Addressing affordability, Hilton promises to get gas prices below $3 per gallon and eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000 Californians earn, while Becerra proposes a "Power Hour" of free electricity for low-income households using excess solar production.
- On the film industry, Becerra plans a "California Entertainment Summit" and seeks a "national framework" of AI safety regulations, whereas Hilton calls current $750 million tax credits "totally inadequate."
- The winner will set the agenda for the nation's most populous state, home to about 12% of all Americans, as California confronts critical challenges including housing shortages, homelessness, and AI development in Silicon Valley.
60 Articles
60 Articles
Candidates for California Governor Face Off in Televised Debate
(Left) Former secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra during a debate in Monterey Park, Calif., on May 5, 2026. (Right) Former Fox News host Steve Hilton speaks after a gubernatorial debate in San Francisco on April 22, 2026. (Justin Sullivan, Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)
Debate sought to tip the balance to determine who will succeed Newsom and take over the government of the most populous state in the United States
Palo Alto Online
In Becerra and Hilton’s only scheduled debate, Trump was the main character
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Californians watching Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate would be forgiven for thinking the candidates for governor are President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party. Trump was the central topic in the debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, with Becerra repeatedly tying […]
Xavier Becerra, the favorite Democrat in the California gubernatorial race, tried to link his Republican opponent, Steve Hilton, to President Donald Trump's policies during the debate they both had on Wednesday night at the...
Channel 3000
KTEN‘Trump, Trump, Trump,’ Democrats’ hold on California and other takeaways from the governor debate
(CNN) — Xavier Becerra, the Democratic favorite in California’s race for governor, sought to tie his Republican opponent Steve Hilton to the policies of President Donald Trump as the two debated Wednesday night on CNN.
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