The Brief<\/p>\n
The first statewide California gubernatorial debate gave voters an early look at the candidates in a wide-open race.<\/p>\n
The seven candidates faced off on hot-button issues like crime, immigration, health care and homelessness.<\/p>\n
California’s primary election will take place on June 2, 2026. The general election will take place on Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – California\u2019s first statewide gubernatorial debate<\/a> of the 2026 election cycle wrapped up Tuesday night, giving voters an early look at a crowded and still wide-open race just four months before the June primary.<\/p>\n Wide-open race<\/p>\n What we know<\/p>\n Seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams\u2013Bayview Opera House in San Francisco for the debate, hosted by the Black Action Alliance in partnership with KTVU and sister station KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation\u2019s most populous state.<\/p>\n Hot-button issues including housing, crime, immigration, health care and homelessness dominated the discussion.<\/p>\n A pointed exchange unfolded over housing costs between political commentator and strategist Steve Hilton and San Jose<\/a> Mayor Matt Mahan<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I actually talked to Matt about it. He didn\u2019t agree with me about capping taxes on housing,” said Hilton. “He likes taxes apparently, unless they\u2019re on billionaires. We\u2019ve got to end the taxes on housing, and we\u2019ve got to end the war on single-family homes.”<\/p>\n Mahan pushed back, saying San Jose has already taken steps to reduce fees and encourage development.<\/p>\n “You must have been talking to a different mayor,” said Mahan. “Because actually in San Jose when we were approving housing, and it wasn\u2019t getting built, we looked at those fees and taxes, and we reduced them substantially.”<\/p>\n The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU\u2019s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11\u2019s Marla Tellez.<\/p>\n Crime & Prop. 36<\/p>\n On crime, candidates were asked whether they would fund Proposition 36 and how they would approach restorative justice policies. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa emphasized rehabilitation alongside enforcement.<\/p>\n Who participated in the gubernatorial debate?<\/p>\n Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor<\/p>\n Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor<\/p>\n Betty Yee, former California state controller<\/p>\n Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Attorney General of California<\/p>\n Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser<\/p>\n Tony Thurmond, California’s state superintendent of public instruction<\/p>\n “We need a policy that focuses on redemption, a policy that focuses on restorative justice, and as governor I\u2019ll do that,” said Villaraigosa. “Yes, we have to fund the drug treatment in Prop. 36, and I will as governor, and yes we gotta get the guns off the street.”<\/p>\n ‘Treatment not incarceration’<\/p>\n Businessman Tom Steyer echoed a focus on treatment over incarceration.<\/p>\n “Of course we have to keep our streets and communities safe, but the fact is, we need to have step-down facilities,” said Steyer. “We need treatment, not incarceration, where it\u2019s available. We need to treat people as if they can be rehabilitated, to train them so that when they come back they can be productive members of society.”<\/p>\n Homelessness was another focal point, following a 2024 state audit that found California spent $24 billion addressing homelessness without adequately tracking outcomes. Former state Controller Betty Yee said accountability must be central.<\/p>\n “We put the money where it works best, we offer flexibility where we know jurisdictions need it, and we pull back what we know doesn\u2019t work so that we can actually pilot some things that could work more effectively,” said Yee.<\/p>\n Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called for expanded emergency shelters and faster housing construction.<\/p>\n “First expand emergency shelters so that we can get people off the streets,” said Becerra. “Second reform our zoning and permitting laws so we can move faster to find the housing that we need for all Californians.”<\/p>\n Rising costs<\/p>\n Candidates also addressed rising costs across the state, from groceries to child care and health care. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond reiterated his support for universal health care.<\/p>\n “When I am governor, I will restore universal healthcare for all, including undocumented immigrants in the state of California, because we know that healthcare is a right,” said Thurmond.<\/p>\n Several notable candidates did not participate. Organizers said Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco were absent due to scheduling conflicts. <\/p>\n Voter reaction<\/p>\n Many of the voters who packed the venue said they were still undecided, and for them, the debate served as a first real introduction to some of the candidates.<\/p>\n On stage, the candidates tackled the issues dominating daily life across California.<\/p>\n “I think it\u2019s really a blend for most Californians like me. We\u2019re concerned about public safety, homelessness, housing and the cost of living. And from what I\u2019m hearing, Matt Mahan has really provided some great suggestions based on what he\u2019s doing as mayor, ideas that feel practical, realistic and innovative,” said Amanda from the East Bay.<\/p>\n Logan McDonald of Oakland is undecided.<\/p>\n “Tom Steyer is leaving a good impression with me. I think he\u2019s passionate. I feel like he\u2019s putting his money where his mouth is and I\u2019ve been impressed with what he has to say. He\u2019s a lot more progressive than I would have imagined,” he said.<\/p>\n For other voters, the debate hit closer to home on issues like homelessness.<\/p>\n “I\u2019d have to say between Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond, especially on their stance on homelessness,” said Artice Jackson of Oakland. “I know what it\u2019s like to be homeless and to be a family waiting to get help. I have a college degree, I\u2019m a single parent, my mother is disabled. I\u2019m part of the sandwich generation. A lot of what\u2019s being discussed affects my entire household.”<\/p>\n When is California’s gubernatorial election?<\/p>\n California’s primary election will take place on June 2, 2026. The general election will take place on Nov. 3. The top two candidates with the most votes in the primary, regardless of party preference, will move on to the General Election in November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brief The first statewide California gubernatorial debate gave voters an early look at the candidates in a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":163460,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[79065,3703,7,9,8,35460,79063,1280,1493,12583,47,4421,46413,45070,88,17382,25299,23894,3707],"class_list":["post-163459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-attorney-general-of-california","tag-betty-yee","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-california-state-controller","tag-gubernatorial-debate","tag-health-care","tag-homelessness","tag-ktvu","tag-los-angeles","tag-matt-mahan","tag-mayor-antonio-villaraigosa","tag-primary-election","tag-san-jose","tag-steve-hilton","tag-tom-steyer","tag-tony-thurmond","tag-xavier-becerra"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}