On Thursday night at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, seven of the candidates for California governor debated one last time before the June 2 primary, each trying to change their standing in the polls and become one of the top two vote-getters.
As happened at the last debate last week, candidates on both sides of the party spectrum ganged up on former Biden administration official and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, largely in light of an embezzlement case linked to people who worked for him that just concluded on Thursday.
The attacks are also motivated, pretty clearly, by the fact that Becerra has risen dramatically in the polls over the last several weeks, following the departure of Eric Swalwell from the race.
'This is what happens when you take the lead in the polls and you’re ahead of everyone else. They all come at you," Becerra said at the debate.
The candidates also attacked Becerra, again, on his position regarding single-payer healthcare, following Becerra getting the endorsement of the California Medical Association.
"You went and talked to the single largest lobbying group against single-payer in the state of California, and the head of that group the next day said that you very clearly indicated you are against single-payer," Tom Steyer said, attacking Becerra. "They didn't just say it, they endorsed you and they gave you the largest donation possible."
Becerra maintains that he has always supported Medi-Cal, which is a single-payer type program.
Porter once again tried to cast herself as the most down-to-earth and trustworthy candidate, saying in her opening statement, "I'm not a billionaire. I push a shopping cart. I pay the bills and I fill up my minivan."
Becerra similarly cast himself as salt-of-the-earth and humble, saying, "My parents came to California with $12 in their pocket," and saying that they were able to live the California Dream, which has become less and less a reality, of raising a family here and sending three kids to college.
Becerra also spoke to the issue of the AI industry, saying that it should remain rooted in California, however, "We need to harness AI before it harnesses us," which defined as "taking advantage of working with [the industry] to establish a clear set of rules about how they will operate."
Steyer, who stood out with his shiny white Nikes paired with his suit, compared to the other candidates dress shoes, tried to bring things around to climate issues, which are his strength — he noted "none of the other candidates are talking about climate, smartly," though that wasn't really true, and it's not clear what he was getting at.
Steyer also attacked Becerra saying, "I have been fighting the oil companies for 15 years and I have never lost. Xavier Becerra is taking money from them and he is doing their bidding."
Porter made a "power move" as the California Post casts it when she announced that she was borrowing an idea from Republican Steve Hilton — saying she has not problem borrowing "good ideas" from the other side of the aisle — and proposing that California stop charging income tax on households earning less than $100,000 per year.
The Post also notes that Porter was more concise and substantive in her answers than most of the other candidates — but they also give Republican Steve Hilton an 'A' in the debate and give all the other Democrats poor marks.
As Cal Matters notes, the two Republicans, Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, boosted each other in the debate, hoping to keep the Democratic vote split among the other candidates.
As of this week, Becerra is leading the Democratic field, and even topped 20% for the first time in a poll. Steyer is in second place just behind Becerra at 19%, with Hilton in third at 18%, and Porter in fourth, rising to 13% — possibly thanks to her debate performances or most recent ads.
Decide for yourself how everyone did by watching the full debate (or parts of it) below.
Top image: California gubernatorial candidate Democrat Xavier Becerra speaks during the CBS California Gubernatorial Debate at Pomona College on April 28, 2026 in Claremont, California. California is holding its upcoming primary election, where the top two candidates regardless of party will advance to the general election, on June 2. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
