{"id":2598899,"date":"2026-05-05T10:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T14:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-hopefuls-contend-with-back-to-back-debates-with-finish-line-in-sight\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T14:28:18","slug":"california-gubernatorial-hopefuls-contend-with-back-to-back-debates-with-finish-line-in-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-hopefuls-contend-with-back-to-back-debates-with-finish-line-in-sight\/","title":{"rendered":"California gubernatorial hopefuls contend with back-to-back debates with finish line in sight"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-gubernatorial-hopefuls-contend-with-back-to-back-debates-with-finish-line-in-sight%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2598899&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>California\u2019s race for governor to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom is entering a tight,high-stakes phase as the top eight contenders narrow and mail-in ballots have begun for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-hopefuls-have-a-gavin-newsom-problem\/\" title=\"California gubernatorial hopefuls have a ... problem\">june 2 primary<\/a>. The leading Democrats-former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, billionaire Tom Steyer, and former Rep. Katie Porter-are paired with Republicans Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.<\/p>\n<p>Two major debates this week begin Tuesday on CNN and are followed by a Wednesday event hosted by NBC News. A new California Democratic Party poll released Monday shows Becerra and Hilton tied at 18%, with Bianco at 14%, Steyer and Porter down slightly, and Matt Mahan up to 7%, while undecided voters have fallen sharply.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra\u2019s surge is a dramatic turnaround after being stuck in the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >low single digits<\/a> in a much larger field; his rise accelerated following former rep. Eric Swalwell\u2019s exit. Hilton argues he\u2019s the \u201coutsider\u201d focused on listening to voters across the state. Strategists expect Democrats to attack Becerra on immigration and corporate influence,while republicans may link him to Joe Biden\u2019s administration,and they\u2019ll also watch whether Democrats rally against Hilton to slow his momentum.<\/p>\n<p>Porter, positioned in the middle of the pack, is seen as a potential beneficiary of any major misstep by Becerra or if she can withstand a sustained pushback. Past debate chaos-interruptions and off-message moments-has left the race still searching for clearer distinctions, and experts caution that debates may not significantly change minds in an eight-person field unless a candidate makes an unusually decisive moment.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The top\u00a0candidates in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California\u2019s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ga-republicans-launch-stop-stacey-effort-ahead-of-possible-abrams-2022-announcement\/\" title=\"GA ...ublicans Launch \u2018S... Stacey\u2019 Effort Ahead Of Possible Abrams 2022 Announcement\">gubernatorial race<\/a> will face off twice this week, starting Tuesday night, as the contest to replace term-limited Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1426\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA) enters a tightly packed phase.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s televised debate on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cnn\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"732\">CNN<\/a> comes just one day after voters began receiving mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary election, raising the stakes for a field in which five of the eight candidates are clustered within striking distance of one another. With early voting underway, the window to break out is shrinking rapidly.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4553238\/thune-scott-barr-kentucky-senate-endorsement-trump\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Thune and Scott follow Trump\u2019s lead with endorsement of Andy Barr<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4551701\/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-ruling-2026-redistricting-impact\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court scrambles 2026 maps, sets up larger redistricting fight beyond<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4551927\/biden-backs-keisha-lance-bottoms-georgia-governor-first-post-presidency-endorse\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Biden backs Keisha Lance Bottoms for Georgia governor in his first post-presidency endorsement<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Among the leading contenders are three Democrats \u2014 former California Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/xavier-becerra\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1719\">Xavier Becerra<\/a>, billionaire hedge fund manager <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-steyer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2792\">Tom Steyer<\/a>, and former Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/katie-porter\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"10247\">Katie Porter<\/a> \u2014 along with two Republicans, former Fox News host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/steve-hilton\/\" type=\"mediapress_author\" id=\"12992\">Steve Hilton<\/a> and Riverside County Sheriff <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4520952\/california-chad-bianco-ballot-investigation\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4520952\">Chad Bianco<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steve Hilton, left, and Xavier Becerra speak during a break in a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jae C. Hong)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s debate, moderated by\u00a0Kaitlan Collins\u00a0and\u00a0Elex Michaelson, is the first of two high-profile showdowns this week.\u00a0A second debate, hosted by NBC News, will take place on Wednesday. For candidates struggling to separate themselves, the back-to-back events offer a critical opportunity to seize momentum in a race that remains unsettled.<\/p>\n<p>A new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/cadem.org\/california-democratic-party-releases-new-california-voter-index-tracking-survey\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/cadem.org\/california-democratic-party-releases-new-california-voter-index-tracking-survey\/\">California Democratic Party poll <\/a>released Monday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4554414\/becerra-hilton-tied-california-gubernatorial-poll\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4554414\/becerra-hilton-tied-california-gubernatorial-poll\/\">underscores<\/a> just how fluid the contest has become, showing Becerra and Hilton now tied for the top spot at 18%, both gaining from the previous survey as voting gets underway. <\/p>\n<p>Bianco remained flat at 14%. Steyer and Porter saw slight declines from the April 20 poll, while Matt Mahan posted a modest bump to 7%. The share of undecided voters has dropped from 24% in March to 14%, a clear sign that voters are beginning to tune in.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra, and Katie Porter wait during a break in a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jae C. Hong)<br \/><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Becerra\u2019s rise marks a dramatic turnaround. Once stuck in the low single digits in a sprawling field that at one point included 60 candidates, he has surged into the top tier in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-spike-in-florida-coronavirus-cases-despite-no-mask-mandate\/\" title=\"No Spike in Florida Coronavirus Cases Despite No Mask Mandate\">recent weeks<\/a>. His ascent followed the abrupt exit of former Democratic California Rep.\u00a0Eric Swalwell, who dropped out last month amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cXavier Becerra has decades of fighting for Californians under his belt, and he\u2019ll be bringing that fight to the debate stage on Wednesday,\u201d Jonathan Underland, a spokesman for Becerra\u2019s campaign, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cFrom lowering costs to expanding affordable health care coverage to spurring the construction of housing everyone can afford \u2014 Becerra is the only candidate on stage with the experience needed to deliver results on day one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hilton disagrees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy preparation for the debate has been traveling our state, listening to Californians and seeing how desperate they are for change,\u201d he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cWe are holding town halls up and down California, just this weekend from San Francisco to the Central Valley, hundreds of people coming out to each event, with larger and larger crowds every week. The questions people ask, the stories they tell \u2013 that\u2019s the best preparation. I\u2019m the only outsider in this race, running to shake up a system that obviously isn\u2019t working. And the voice of the people I\u2019m hearing on the road is the voice you will hear from me in these debates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>California strategists say the biggest tell tonight will be who draws the most fire. They expect\u00a0Becerra\u00a0to take hits from Democrats over immigration and corporate influence, while Republicans try to tie him to his former boss, former President\u00a0Joe Biden. Becerra was the Health and Human Services Secretary during the Biden administration. <\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll also be watching whether Democrats coalesce around a single target, most likely\u00a0Hilton,\u00a0in a bid to blunt his rise in the polls.<\/p>\n<p>Attention is also on\u00a0Porter, who sits in the middle of the pack. She had been gaining traction before\u00a0Swalwell\u00a0exited the race and was seen as a possible beneficiary of his departure. Instead, much of that support appears to have consolidated behind Becerra. Still, a misstep from him or a sustained pile-on could reopen the lane for Porter if she delivers a strong performance.<\/p>\n<p>Last week\u2019s 90-minute debate at Pomona College devolved into a crosstalk-heavy clash, with candidates interrupting, griping about airtime, and drifting off message as moderators warned microphones could be cut. The spectacle highlighted a field still scrambling for definition \u2014 and for the attention of voters just starting to engage.<\/p>\n<p>That same urgency is expected to carry into Tuesday\u2019s debate, as candidates look to break through before ballots are cast in what has quickly become one of the most unpredictable gubernatorial races in recent California history.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4554414\/becerra-hilton-tied-california-gubernatorial-poll\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4554414\">XAVIER BECERRA AND STEVE HILTON TIED AS CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR RACE TIGHTENS: POLL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But veteran political expert Garry South told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that even though the stakes are high, he\u2019s not sure it will move the needle much. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, candidate debates are rarely as decisive or re-defining as the hype would have it, both from the sponsoring organization itself and the candidates,\u201d he said. \u201cIn a two-way presidential debate, there are moments that matter. But in an eight-person gubernatorial debate, there really isn\u2019t enough time allotted to each candidate to allow for a breakout moment \u2014 unless one candidate walks across the stage and punches out another one.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California governor race: two debates this week as mail ballots start<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2598900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26119042992055.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,67462,40275,40627],"class_list":["post-2598899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-election-2026","tag-gubernatorial-race","tag-political-debates"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26119042992055.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2598899"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2598903,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2598899\/revisions\/2598903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2598900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2598899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2598899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2598899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}