By Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters
Six leading Democratic candidates for governor were seeking a breakout moment Tuesday night in a race that has been dominated by its lack of certainty, with two Republican candidates frequently in the lead.
None of them appeared to find one in a chaotic, combative and often hard-to-follow CBS debate at Pomona College, prompting former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter to declare at one point that “this is worse than my teenagers at dinner.”
With less than a week before ballots are mailed to voters, though, the targets were clear: Billionaire Tom Steyer, who has led fellow Democrats in polling and has already spent at least $132 million of his own money on the race; and Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary who has had a sudden surge in momentum since former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out amid allegations of sexual assault.
Porter, once a rising national progressive star, got in a dig at Steyer, who has consolidated support among many of the party’s most left-wing activists, criticizing the fortune he made in part by investing in fossil fuels when he tried to tout his climate-friendly credentials and policy of “making polluters pay.” Steyer has said that he subsequently divested from those investments and devoted himself to addressing climate change.
“How about profiteers pay?” Porter asked pointedly.
Becerra, meanwhile, was criticized by moderate Democratic San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for his mixed record as former President Joe Biden’s health secretary and for bristling when pressed for policy specifics. At one point, Becerra argued with one of the five debate moderators over the legality of his proposal to call a state of emergency to freeze home insurance rates.
Becerra entered the debate fresh off a recent boost in polling and fundraising, buoyed by an army of online influencers whose posts adviser Michael Bustamante said are “all organic.” The candidate was eager to spar with his competitors, but his newfound spotlight has also come with scrutiny about his record on immigration and health.
Progressives and Steyer’s campaign have also highlighted Becerra’s support from companies like Chevron and his handling of an influx of unaccompanied migrant children as Biden’s health secretary. A 2023 New York Times investigation found that those children — whom Becerra had pressured officials to process and place as if they were running an “assembly line” — ended up in dangerous child labor jobs.
Becerra later dismissed the criticism as a “MAGA talking point” and said the Department of Homeland Security was responsible for the child labor.
“We did everything we could,” he said.
Republican Chad Bianco, the ornery Riverside County sheriff with a penchant for the conspiratorial, was also on the offensive Tuesday night. He leapt to attack Democratic policies wholesale as “lies” whenever he could. He drew groans from the audience when he interrupted Becerra to state, falsely, that COVID-19 vaccines distributed under Biden had “poisoned” millions of Americans.
His frequent broadsides at state regulations prompted Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to attack Bianco’s recent unprecedented seizure of 650,000 ballots in Riverside County.
Little to differentiate Democrats
But the Democrats largely failed to differentiate themselves as they tackled questions on the cost of living, health care, education, housing and energy, struggling to promote new policies to address the crushing cost of living. They were careful not to attack the liberal policies of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has declined to endorse any of them.
Even getting a moment in the spotlight was hard in a debate format that seemed to jump from subject to subject and in which candidates frequently interrupted one another.
“They’re all wrong,” Mahan said, as he tried to walk the line between the Republicans supporting a Trump tax policy that will cut up to 2 million people from public health coverage and Democrats calling for publicly funded single-payer health care estimated to cost $392 billion in California.
But Mahan didn’t offer much of an alternative, saying the answer was “incentivizing actual health.”
All eight said they support forcing homeless residents who refuse repeated shelter offers into mandated mental health treatment facilities. Mahan and Thurmond agreed with Republicans Bianco and Steve Hilton that the state gas tax should be suspended; Becerra, Porter, Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa disagreed.
On energy, Porter agreed with Mahan and Villaraigosa that the state should aim to keep oil refineries open amid skyrocketing gas prices while working toward greater electrification, while Steyer called for more taxes on oil industry profits. Hilton, who has promised to eliminate many climate goals to lower the price of gas, did not say what he would do to support clean energy. He has dominated most polling in the governor’s race.
“I think I’m more confused on who to vote for now than ever,” said Pomona College politics student Kloi Ogans after the debate. “So I have a lot more researching to do.”
As part of the debate, Ogans was invited to ask the candidates about rebuilding housing in California. She said after the debate that young voters are worried about affordability and concerned about Trump’s immigration enforcement sweeps. She particularly wanted to hear from Becerra and Porter, but the sparring among candidates made her disinterested.
Republican candidates are part of the same toxic cesspool percolting through the MAGAsphere. Election denying dotards, criminals and half wits.
Matt Mahan is a pragmatic moderate which is exactly what this State needs (and many people want). Unfortunately, he’s not likely going to get the attention needed to break through.
His statements don’t sound all that moderate, unless you’re an extreme MAGAT.
Mahan is backed by Peter Thiel, the same billionaire who bankrolls JD Vance and a large number of troubling policies.
“moderator” Julie Watts is an anus who has no business arguing with candidates. It was her unfriendly “interview” that Katie Porter quit because she wouldn’t let Katie lay out her policy positions.
Katie Porter has a lot of pluses but often uses dishonest sophistic rhetoric as she did against Steyer.
Steyer, while a billionaire, has changed his ways and is the most progressive candidate. PG&E is paying huge amounts to defeat him.
Becerra is a decent fellow but is weak tea with no charisma.
Matt Mahan is an evil tech bro and a spoiler.
I will vote for whichever Dem has the best chance of taking one of the top two slots, which currently is Steyer.
Hilton and especially Bianco are fascists.
The other Dem candidates haven’t a prayer and should drop out.
“At one point, Becerra argued with one of the five debate moderators over the legality of his proposal to call a state of emergency to freeze home insurance rates. ”
No, she argued with him, which she had no business doing … and she was wrong.
Steyer continues to show us that he has the “right stuff” to lead the State of California. Let’s hope so because he plans to lower our utility bills by 25% and build a million new affordable homes. Sure, he has lots of money, but that shows that he knows how to run a business, invest, and stay out of the red. Steyer’s advertising campaign has been a great success and he continues to hold his own. Candidate Steve Hilton has been leading in the polls for months with Steyer and Becerra closing in from behind (or slightly ahead now?). Hilton probably will start to slide in the polls as we go forward, but polls aren’t that accurate (look at the polls in 2016 and 2024). Bottom line is that we don’t really have a great crop of candidates for Cali governor, but Steyer seems to be the most likely to take the prize.
Bend knees, emit flatulence.
Beeknee – this post lacks any sincere analysis or insight.
Let’s hope that the crazy MAGA republicans don’t get control of California.
Points of agreement!
This is yet another example of the Democrat’s complete lack of vision and leadership. They all looked sad, whining and arguing. I’m guessing on their side it’ll just be Steyer buying his way into the top spot out of this crew. Will Bianco and Hilton be 1 and 2 is the real question. That’ll flatten some tires.
Which Democrat do you mean?
Or, is this just another example of your lack of knowledge of the English language, and how plurals are formed?
> sad, whining and arguing
You’re the expert.