6 leading California gubernatorial candidates to face off in first major debate

The California governor’s race has gone through a dramatic change since the last time candidates took the stage — most notably the suspension of Democratic front runner Eric Swalwell’s campaign after a scandal filled with sexual misconduct allegations.

Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to endorse a candidate in the race today ahead of the debate, but made it clear he expects a Democrat to win despite polls showing Republican candidates in the race gaining popularity among Californians.

The four Democrats and two Republicans that will take the stage will tackle an array of topics and will address the litany of issues plaguing the Golden State including affordability, homelessness and the recent exodus of citizens and businesses.

Here’s a list of the candidates appearing tonight:

Steve Hilton

A consistent leader in polls, the former Fox News host is looking to become the state’s first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Chad Bianco

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is the other Republican in the race and has polled closely behind Hilton. In March, Bianco seized 650,000 ballots from the state’s November elections in an investigation into the state’s November 2025 special election on Proposition 50 after a third-party organization, the Riverside Election Integrity Team, claimed it found roughly 45,000 excess votes.

Xavier Becerra

Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has been the biggest benefactor of Swalwell’s exit, gaining popularity in polls. The Democrat has held several state positions including the State Assembly and as California’s Attorney General.

Tom Steyer

Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer was seen as the second leading Democrat in the race behind Swalwell before the latter’s abrupt exit — yet he has failed to capitalize on it. He has faced scrutiny from his own party on some of his previous investments prior to his run for governor.

Katie Porter

Democrat Katie Porter’s campaign got off to a rocky start when videos of her lashing out on staff and a reporter began to circulate. The former US representative hasn’t been able to climb over leading candidates in polls since announcing her campaign.

Matt Mahan

Democratic Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan is a Silicon Valley favorite — and Newsom critic. Recent polls put him behind everyone else on the stage.

How to watch

The debate will be held at KRON4’s San Francisco studio at 7pm and will be televised on six Nexstar stations across California: KRON4 in San Francisco, KTLA in Los Angeles, KSWB/KUSI in San Diego, KTXL in Sacramento and KGET in Bakersfield. The debate will also be streamed on KRON4.com, KTLA.com, KTLA’s YouTube channel and KTLA’s Facebook page.

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