Former Congresswoman Katie Porter tried to stand apart and make her case at Tuesday night's governor's race primary debate hosted by CNN, while all the candidates appeared to gang up on Xavier Becerra.

Becerra became the prime target for attacks from all sides Tuesday night, probably because a new poll released on Tuesday confirmed his surging candidacy, showing him now atop the Democratic field and neck-and-neck with Republican Steve Hilton, both with 18% of the vote.

As CNN reports in its recap of the debate between seven of the candidates in the race, Becerra came under particular fire over his recent backtracking on his support for Medicare for All, which he appears to have done to win the endorsement of the California Medical Association. KQED reported last week that Becerra, a longtime supporter of single-payer healthcare, had clearly told members of the association that he did not support the idea for California, as of now.

"A single payer system is the right goal — but it’s not possible under this administration, and right now we have a crisis on our hands," said a Becerra campaign spokesperson in a recent statement.

Other candidates jumped on this flip-flop during the debate, while Becerra tried to say he hadn't flip-flopped. "I haven’t changed. And so those reports were inaccurate," Becerra said. "I continue to be for Medicare for All."

Porter in particular noted that the very fact that Becerra's stance on the issue is no longer clear should be "disqualifying."

Other candidates, including the Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, attacked Becerra on other issues. As the New York Times notes, Hilton brought up the federal indictment of Becerra's former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, and a former campaign manager Dana Williamson, who have been charged with skimming money from a campaign account. Becerra denied having any knowledge of the crimes.

Porter also took a few swings Tuesday night in an effort to climb out of the fourth- or fifth-place spot she's lately been in in the polls. Referring to critics who harp on her "temperment" following a couple of viral videos that cast her in an unflattering light, Porter called out other candidates' behavior on the debate stage as "boys bullying and bickering," and said, "I can’t believe that on a stage with 30 minutes of interrupting and bickering and name-calling and shouting and disrespect … that anyone wants to talk about my temperament."

Porter also sought to cast herself as the most vocal anti-Trump candidate, particualrly in contrast to the two Republicans in the room. In a particularly viral-video-friendly moment, Porter responded to a question about the President saying, "Look, Donald Trump sucks. And I don't think that anyone who doesn't see that he is targeting and hurting Californians and won't stand up for everybody who is counting on them to be their leader and keep them safe has any business being governor."

She spoke more specifically about Trump hurting California in various ways, saying that when he does so, "F him."

Tom Steyer, meanwhile, spoke in support of the "billionaire's tax" that is headed to the November ballot, while Porter and Mahan both spoke against it — with Porter suggesting that it represents "cheap political points" and saying that the state needed to fundamentally change how it taxes the wealthy and big corporations in the long term.

"Billionaires like me should pay more taxes, and big corporations should pay more taxes," Steyer said firmly. "And that's why, if this proposition is on the ballot in November, I'll vote for it."

CNN commentator Van Jones, as you can hear in the recap below, suggested that Steyer did well for himself in the debate, but he noted that his status as a billionaire was likely not going to help in the minds of some California voters.

Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who only barely qualified for the debate based on polling numbers, took shots at the Republicans, meanwhile, noting that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was once a member of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers.

Sadly, nevertheless, Bianco is still polling at 14%, while Villaraigosa is polling at 2%.

You can see more clips from the debate here and here.

Previously: Tom Steyer Gets Endorsement From Willie Brown as NYT Looks Into His Fossil Fuel Fortune

Top image: California gubernatorial candidates former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 05, 2026 in Monterey Park, California. CNN hosted a debate with seven of the top contenders in the race for California Governor. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Kaitlan Collins and Elex Michaelson. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)