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California’s race to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom heated up in a CNN-broadcast debate Tuesday, with candidates taking contrasting positions on healthcare, taxes and immigration as mail voting had already begun and voters had until June 2 to cast ballots. The top two finishers in the primary are set to advance to the general election in November, regardless of party.
Among the participants were Democrats Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Matt Mahan, along with Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. The debate framed the contest as one of the final opportunities for the candidates to stand out in a crowded field ahead of the primary.
On healthcare, Porter pressed Becerra repeatedly over whether he would back CalCare, a state-run single-payer system. Porter asked him directly: “Do you support CalCare — California having its own state-run, single-payer system, yes or no?” Becerra responded without a yes-or-no, saying, “The most important thing about having a Medicare for All plan is that it includes everyone,” and adding, “What we have to do is get to the point where we are covering everyone with something like Medicare for All.”
Mahan, who opposed a state-run system, later said Becerra “was unable to clearly answer the most important question on healthcare.” Becerra disputed Mahan’s characterization, saying, “I did answer that question.” Steyer joined Porter in saying he would support a state-run approach, while Bianco, Hilton and Villaraigosa said it was not practical or would cost too much.
When the discussion shifted to healthcare access for immigrants, the candidates split over state-funded coverage for low-income people without legal status. Steyer, Porter and Mahan said they supported the idea, while describing that it had been passed by Newsom before he pared it back. Bianco opposed it, calling the policy “ridiculous.”
On immigration policy, the candidates’ arguments largely followed party lines, with Democrats focusing on opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Steyer said the state should prosecute federal agents and immigration enforcement leaders who, he said, racially profile or use violence against Californians, and Mahan said San Jose business owners had lost customers because many immigrants fear leaving their homes.
Bianco supported Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, saying agents were enforcing the law and working to deport people he described as “criminals” in the country illegally. Hilton, who said he is from England and is the only immigrant on stage, argued the candidates should not conflate legal and illegal immigration. Hilton said, “Although it is the federal government’s responsibility to determine and implement immigration policy, I think it’s important that all the laws are peacefully enforced,” adding, “As governor, I would make sure that we work with the federal government to enforce our laws.”
The candidates also debated how much to emphasize President Donald Trump. Becerra mentioned Trump most often, saying he sued the administration multiple times while serving as California attorney general from 2017 to 2021, before being appointed health secretary under President Joe Biden. Becerra declared: “I’m going to repeat Donald Trump as often as I have because he’s the menace.”
Villaraigosa pressed Hilton to acknowledge Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, and Hilton refused to answer. Hilton then said, “Endlessly going on about Donald Trump doesn’t serve the needs of the struggling families and small businesses.” Mahan said Becerra was wrong to blame high gas prices solely on Trump, while also saying San Jose has sued the Trump administration over immigration policy. Mahan added that it was disqualifying for Republicans to support Trump’s “cruel and ineffective policies.” Porter, meanwhile, put her argument more bluntly: “Donald Trump sucks.”
The debate also featured sharp contrasts on taxes. Steyer said he was the only candidate on stage who would vote for a proposed billionaires tax expected to appear before voters in November. Porter said she supported increased taxes on California’s ultrawealthy but described the proposed billionaires tax as a temporary fix to a longer-term problem.
Mahan said he would suspend the gas tax, arguing it unfairly burdens working families. Hilton said he would make people’s first $100,000 free of income tax, while Mahan and Steyer said they would tax artificial intelligence companies and use the money to support workers, including through workforce development training. Mahan said, “The answer is to tax these companies, not to regulate them to the point that they simply go to other places.”