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California\u2019s already volatile race for governor took on a sharper edge Tuesday night, as a crowded field of candidates turned a nationally televised debate into a sustained exchange of attacks, cross-talk, and ideological contrasts that underscored just how unsettled the contest remains weeks before the June 2 primary.<\/span><\/p>\n With seven candidates on stage and no clear frontrunner, the debate quickly took on the feel of a pivotal moment in the race, less about introducing platforms than defining \u2014 and swinging at \u2014 opponents. Moderators pressed candidates on affordability, energy, immigration, and healthcare, but answers often gave way to direct clashes, particularly between Republicans and Democrats and within the Democratic field itself.<\/span><\/p>\n Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco framed the night around a broader indictment of Democratic governance, arguing that years of one-party control has driven up costs and worsened quality of life. The Democrats; former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, largely countered by tying Republican critiques to President Donald Trump and defending the state\u2019s policy direction, though not without visible fractures among themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n The most consistent throughline of the evening was the cost of living, particularly gas prices, which hovered above $6 per gallon statewide. Hilton argued that regulatory policy and environmental mandates were artificially inflating costs, at one point accusing Steyer of supporting policies that burden working Californians to benefit \u201crich friends\u201d invested in climate initiatives. Steyer fired back, calling Hilton an \u201capologist for fossil fuels\u201d and arguing that global markets, not state policy, drive fuel costs.<\/span><\/p>\n That exchange set the tone for much of the night: blunt, personal, and often spilling beyond the moderators\u2019 control.<\/span><\/p>\n At another point, Becerra claimed that Trump is responsible for raising the cost of living in California, singling out the war in Iran and rising gas prices. Villaraigosa shot back, reminding Becerra that Californians have dealt with the highest gas prices in the country \u201cfor a very long time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Xavier Becerra gets OWNED by his own party:<\/p>\n BECERRA: \u201cLet\u2019s focus on who\u2019s raising the cost of living in California\u2026that\u2019s Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n VILLARAIGOSA: \u201cThat\u2019s not true, we\u2019ve had the highest gas prices over $2 than the rest of the nation for a very long time\u2026\u201d pic.twitter.com\/dM7khLVi4J<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Healthcare proved similarly divisive, especially around the question of a single-payer system. Porter pushed Becerra to give a direct answer on whether he supported such a system, while Villaraigosa and Mahan cast doubt on its feasibility, citing cost concerns. Steyer, by contrast, argued the system\u2019s current strain leaves little alternative. Republicans used the moment to frame the debate itself \u2014 as Hilton put it \u2014 as a choice between \u201cgoing Left or going farther Left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Porter and Steyer also said they want the state to provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants. Hilton shot back at that argument, saying, \u201cThe actual way we deal with healthcare in this state is to at least stop spending twenty billion dollars a year on healthcare for illegal immigrants who shouldn\u2019t even be in the country in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n Immigration and law enforcement added another layer of intensity. Bianco positioned himself as uniquely familiar with the effects of California\u2019s sanctuary policies, while Villaraigosa dismissed his claims outright, calling him a \u201cbully\u201d and referencing past affiliations that Bianco defended. The exchange highlighted not only partisan divides, but the willingness of candidates to escalate rhetoric in a crowded field competing for attention.<\/span><\/p>\n Candidates vying to be the next California governor clashed over a question on immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Watch the California Governor Primary Debate live NOW on CNN and the CNN app: https:\/\/t.co\/U9JEkCJj1E<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/01Cb2f3Rob<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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