California governor candidates sparred Tuesday night in a CNN debate on taxes, President Donald Trump and healthcare as the state’s mail voting phase was already underway ahead of the June 2 primary. The field includes Democrats Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, along with Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, seeking to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The debate, one of the last chances for candidates to distinguish themselves before voters cast ballots, also reflected the race’s political stakes. California has not had a Republican governor in more than a decade, and the GOP candidates’ presence kept attention on whether the crowded field can produce a Republican contender for November under the state’s top-two system.
Healthcare and the shape of insurance coverage became a central flashpoint. Porter pressed Becerra on whether he supported CalCare, a California state-run, single-payer system, asking him directly if he did or did not. Becerra responded that the key was reaching coverage for everyone, 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 opposes a state-run system, later said Becerra “was unable to clearly answer the most important question on healthcare.” Becerra countered, “I did answer that question.” On the broader question of CalCare, Steyer sided with Porter, while Bianco, Hilton and Villaraigosa said the approach was not practical or would cost too much.
The candidates also split sharply on healthcare access for immigrants without legal status. Steyer, Porter and Mahan said they supported state-funded coverage for low-income immigrants without legal status, citing limits that had been set earlier then pared back under Newsom. Bianco called the policy “ridiculous,” while the Democrats’ camp framed coverage as an issue of access rather than eligibility.
Immigration policy debates largely followed partisan lines as they turned to immigration raids and enforcement. Democrats said they would fight the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Steyer argued the state should prosecute federal agents and immigration enforcement leaders if they racially profile people or use violence, while Mahan said business owners in San Jose have lost customers as many immigrants are afraid to leave their homes.
Bianco supported Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, saying agents were enforcing the law and deporting people he referred to as “criminals” in the country illegally. Hilton, who said he is from England, argued that the candidates should not conflate legal and illegal immigration and 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.”
Trump became a recurring theme as candidates sparred over how Democrats should define the threat from Washington. Becerra said he would mention Trump often, saying, “I’m going to repeat Donald Trump as often as I have because he’s the menace.” Villaraigosa pressed Hilton to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, and Hilton refused to answer that question.
Hilton instead said, “Endlessly going on about Donald Trump doesn’t serve the needs of the struggling families and small businesses,” while Mahan said Becerra was wrong to blame high gas prices solely on Trump and also pointed to lawsuits San Jose has pursued against the Trump administration over immigration policy. Porter put her focus on Trump in plain terms, saying, “Donald Trump sucks.”
Taxes and cost-of-living proposals also generated distinct contrasts. Steyer said he would vote for a proposed billionaires tax that he said is expected to appear before voters in November, describing it as a way to backfill funding cuts signed into law by Trump that reduced healthcare access for low-income people. Porter also supported increased taxes on California’s ultrawealthy and described the proposed measure as a temporary fix tied to a longer-term problem.
Mahan said he would suspend the gas tax because he argued it unfairly burdens working families. Hilton outlined a different tax approach, saying he would make people’s first $100,000 free of income tax. Mahan and Steyer also said they would tax artificial intelligence companies, and said the money would be used 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.”