7 candidates face off at California’s 1st statewide gubernatorial debate of the year

SAN FRANCISCO - California’s first statewide gubernatorial debate 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. 

Wide-open race

What we know:

Seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams–Bayview 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.

For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Hot-button issues including housing, crime, immigration, health care and homelessness dominated the discussion.

A pointed exchange unfolded over housing costs between political commentator and strategist Steve Hilton and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

"I actually talked to Matt about it. He didn’t agree with me about capping taxes on housing," said Hilton. "He likes taxes apparently, unless they’re on billionaires. We’ve got to end the taxes on housing, and we’ve got to end the war on single-family homes."

Mahan pushed back, saying San Jose has already taken steps to reduce fees and encourage development.

"You must have been talking to a different mayor," said Mahan. "Because actually in San Jose when we were approving housing, and it wasn’t getting built, we looked at those fees and taxes, and we reduced them substantially."

The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU’s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11’s Marla Tellez.

Crime & Prop. 36

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.

Who participated in the gubernatorial debate?

• Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor
• Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor
• Betty Yee, former California state controller
• Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Attorney General of California
• Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser
• Tom Steyer, entrepreneur
• Tony Thurmond, California's state superintendent of public instruction

"We need a policy that focuses on redemption, a policy that focuses on restorative justice, and as governor I’ll 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."

'Treatment not incarceration'

Businessman Tom Steyer echoed a focus on treatment over incarceration.

"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’s 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."

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.

"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’t work so that we can actually pilot some things that could work more effectively," said Yee.

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called for expanded emergency shelters and faster housing construction.

"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."

Rising costs 

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.

"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.

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.  

When is California's gubernatorial election?

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.  

 

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