{"id":32,"date":"2026-05-07T08:43:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=32"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:43:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:43:03","slug":"california-governor-candidates-spar-over-immigration-taxes-and-more-in-cnn-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=32","title":{"rendered":"California governor candidates spar over immigration, taxes and more in CNN debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><p>Candidates for California governor continued sparring \u2014 over healthcare, immigration, affordability and President Donald Trump \u2014 during the latest in a series of debates among the top candidates.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18\">New poll on California governor\u2019s race shows Xavier Becerra catching up with Steve Hilton<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Fresh off a particularly heated debate at Pomona College last week, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Antonio Villaraigosa debated for two hours during CNN\u2019s televised debate Tuesday, May 5, at East L.A. College. And it didn\u2019t take long for Porter, a former congresswoman from Irvine, to quip: \u201cBoys, enough with the bickering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was immigration, though, that drew some of the most heated rhetoric from the debate stage.<\/p>\n<div><ul><div><div><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Candidates for governor of California on the debate stage on...\" class=\"wp-image-20\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/be59868b12285ce4a11dfb9cbc96da82.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Candidates for governor of California on the debate stage on Thursday, May 5, 2026, at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park are Antonio Villaraigosa, left, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton,  Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan. The debate was sponsored and televised by CNN.   (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Katie Porter, left, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton, and Chad Bianco,...\" class=\"wp-image-21\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/60899710015d8592b7b17a2c2ddd867e.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Katie Porter, left, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton, and Chad Bianco, candidates for governor of California, share the stage in a CNN televised debate on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Matt Mahan on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-22\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c2d38ecb0d8141bbed827b9f436e2a78.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Matt Mahan on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steve Hilton on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-23\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6d4d75e83e6c6bd35c38983b3cd5b6e5.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Steve Hilton on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tom Steyer on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-24\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9d0d449d0faf04fe4809be46a6703bd1.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Tom Steyer on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Antonio Villaraigosa on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-25\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f2d747737240bbcfaac3a01eca0fd2bf.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Antonio Villaraigosa on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Katie Porter on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-26\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/273e454b0ae1ddbfdfb5b9afb07f5ded.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Katie Porter on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chad Bianco on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-27\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/65795c8b39009b618ca6a5c1a19e1fa0.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Chad Bianco on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Xavier Becerra on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026....\" class=\"wp-image-28\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f869169f0da359667c5d0b83be61bf89.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>Xavier Becerra on the debate state Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"L to R; Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve...\" class=\"wp-image-29\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f3a333dc119ff2e0729191c59d865bb2.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>L to R; Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton,  Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan, all candidates for governor of California, share the stage in a CNN televised debate on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.   (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"FILE PHOTO: Candidates for governor of California on the debate...\" class=\"wp-image-30\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada-1024x682.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fce22a03ff178eeec8a551035b2fbada.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>FILE PHOTO: Candidates for governor of California on the debate stage on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, are Antonio Villaraigosa, left, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton,  Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan. The same group debated Wednesday.   (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><li><div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"L to R; Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve...\" class=\"wp-image-31\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02-1024x680.webp\" width=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02-1024x680.webp 1024w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02-768x510.webp 768w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02-1536x1021.webp 1536w, https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3457be4730016c8cb683d8ad53be4e02.webp 1860w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>L to R; Antonio Villaraigosa, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton,  Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan, all candidates for governor of California, share the stage in a CNN televised debate on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.   (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/ul><div><div>Candidates for governor of California on the debate stage on Thursday, May 5, 2026, at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park are Antonio Villaraigosa, left, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton,  Chad Bianco, Xavier Becerra, and Matt Mahan. The debate was sponsored and televised by CNN.   (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/div><span>Expand<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<p>It was Hilton who initially drew jabs from some of the Democratic contenders on stage. The Republican commentator shied away from saying outright whether he\u2019d push for the deportation of California\u2019s undocumented farmworkers, saying it\u2019s really the president\u2019s decision rather than the California governor\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Porter disagreed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the job of the governor to protect every single Californian, period. There are no qualifications on that,\u201d said Porter.<\/p>\n<p>But Bianco, the only other Republican on the debate stage, jumped in. Sanctuary state policies, restrictions that prevent state and local law enforcement from directly working with federal immigration authorities in certain instances, do not make the state safer, the Riverside County sheriff argued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou say you\u2019re a sheriff, and I know you are, but you clearly don\u2019t know what the sanctuary law does,\u201d said Villaraigosa, a former Los Angeles mayor, adding that sanctuary laws are not designed to protect violent criminals.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bianco challenged Villaraigosa to defend sanctuary policies to the family members of those who have been killed by someone who is in the country illegally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf an undocumented worker killed somebody, he should go to jail,\u201d said Villaraigosa.<\/p>\n<p>Steyer, meanwhile, said he wants the California attorney general to hold ICE agents and their leadership \u2014 and that could include former Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, he said when pressed \u2014 criminally liable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not legal for federal agents to come to California and break the law,\u201d Steyer said.<\/p> <div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Candidates went toe-to-toe on healthcare, climate and housing as well on Tuesday. They also split on a proposed tax on billionaires, expected to be on voters\u2019 ballots, not in the upcoming primary, but in the general election in the fall.<\/p>\n<p>Porter defended her opposition to the ballot measure while Steyer vowed to vote for it, should it be put forth later this year. Still, Steyer, a billionaire, maintained that the proposal did not go far enough.<\/p>\n<p>But the candidates also largely stuck to their lanes, their campaign talking points.<\/p>\n<p>The five Democrats castigated the president and his policies. The two Republicans complained about life in California under a Democratic supermajority.<\/p>\n<p>Steyer, sporting his trademark red tartan tie, proclaimed himself the progressive who would hold \u201cBig Oil\u201d companies accountable in a way that would help alleviate gas prices. Mahan sought to paint himself as a \u201cdifferent,\u201d pragmatic Democrat, underlining his plan to suspend the state\u2019s gas tax and bragging about successes seen in San Jose. And Becerra continuously pointed to his healthcare background, having served in the Biden administration as the Health and Human Services secretary.<\/p>\n<p>Bianco\u2019s past membership with the extremist Oath Keepers group was also a topic on the debate stage.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=16\">What to expect from the California governor race in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re an Oath Keeper, we all know that,\u201d Villaraigosa charged at one point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I\u2019m very proud of it,\u201d Bianco shot back.<\/p>\n<p>When pressed later by debate moderators, Bianco said he was referring to \u201ctaking an oath.\u201d But he also defended the organization.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody wants to again lie and emotionally get all spun up about the Oath Keeper organization. I just would, before you do that, and I know none of you have, I want you to go read the mission statement,\u201d Bianco said. He later said he does not consider himself to be a member of the group still.<\/p>\n<p>Leaders of the Oath Keepers were among those convicted for leading attacks on the U.S. Capitol in 2021 after Trump\u2019s election loss.<\/p>\n<p>Porter\u2019s past, too, came up. She was questioned about a new campaign ad that seemingly makes reference to a video that went viral earlier in the campaign season. From 2021, Porter was seen berating a staffer who interrupted a recording she was taping for the Biden administration to correct a comment about electric vehicles. Cursing, Porter admonished the staffer for appearing in the background of the shot.<\/p>\n<p>She said she\u2019s apologized and has taken responsibility for her \u201cmistake.\u201d That sets her apart from the others on the debate stage, she said, who have not been able to take accountability for past missteps.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra drew a lot of criticism from his fellow contenders Tuesday night, from his views on single-payer healthcare to reports that HHS, under his leadership, \u201clost contact\u201d with about 85,000 migrant children. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to hear my name quite a bit,\u201d Becerra quipped at one point.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps that\u2019s because\u00a0Becerra, according to the latest polling from the California Democratic Party, has seen a boost in recent weeks, particularly since Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress and dropped out of the race amid sexual assault allegations.<\/p>\n<p>The latest polling, conducted last week, showed Becerra and Hilton both polling at 18% each, followed by Bianco at 14% and Steyer at 12%.<\/p>\n<p>The narrative among California Democrats, only a few weeks ago, was one of fear. With a crowded field of credible Democrats, there were concerns among some in the party that Hilton and Bianco could both advance to the general in California\u2019s jungle primary system, where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, make it through the primary.<\/p>\n<p>They may have gotten a bit of a reprieve, though, from an unlikely name: Trump endorsed Hilton in early April. Since, Bianco has slipped a bit in polling.<\/p>\n<p>When asked why voters in a deep-blue California should back a Trump-endorsed candidate, Hilton broke out his \u201cCalifordable\u201d catchphrase, which is what he is calling his plans to address affordability. Hilton argued that high gas prices and the cost of living in California are the result of local and state Democratic leaders, not Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of my career has been in business,\u201d Hilton said, adding: \u201cWe need some fresh thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have an approximately 20-percentage point voter registration advantage over Republicans in California. As of April 3, 44.92% of the state\u2019s registered voters are Democrats, 25.03% are Republicans and 22.76% have no party preference.<\/p>\n<p>Candidates will debate again on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n<p>Hosted by NBC 4\/KNBC and Telemundo 52\/KVEA, a one-hour debate will take place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles in partnership with Loyola Marymount University. The stations will first hold a Los Angeles mayoral debate at 5 p.m., followed by a statewide broadcast of a gubernatorial debate at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Registered California voters have already been mailed their ballots, with many receiving them this week. Election Day is June 2.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14\">Leading candidates for California governor face off in another high-stakes debate<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Staff writer Linh Tat contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It didn&#8217;t take long Tuesday night before Rep. 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