Moderator Lisa Matthews of the Associated Press asked five candidates for governor of California at the close of Sunday’s debate what they would dress as for Halloween.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa responded, “The next governor.” To which former Rep. Katie Porter, pointing to herself, retorted, “You’re gonna be wearing a dress.”
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Villaraigosa laughed and high-fived Porter. The former congresswoman’s fast thinking offers a hint as to why she is the closest thing to a front-runner in the race for governor. The former Orange County lawmaker has a marginal lead in a race that is only slowly building momentum.
The five candidates agreed on many big policy questions
The public personas and personal biographies of the candidates could play an outsized role in the outcome of June’s primary election because — as their most recent debate demonstrated — the policy differences between the top Democratic candidates are modest. While the 2026 vote could offer an anomaly, like the state’s first woman governor, the field’s policy proposals don’t set them apart from the liberal orthodoxy of recent decades.
Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former state Controller Betty Yee joined Villaraigosa and Porter in the forum. All agreed they would keep building the over-budget bullet train project, pay Medi-Cal benefits to immigrants in the U.S. illegally and support a Prop. 50 redistricting plan to send more Democrats to the House of Representatives.
Some distinctions emerged
Becerra, Porter and Villaraigosa all said they had voted for Proposition 36, the 2024 anti-crime ballot measure that imposed stricter penalties for repeat theft and crimes involving fentanyl. Thurmond set himself apart by sharply criticizing the measure.
The candidates also diverged on whether they would support a single-payer healthcare system. Porter and Villaraigosa said they would not, while Becerra, Yee and Thurmond said they would. Asked if California should ban gasoline-powered cars (at an unspecified date) only Thurmond and Villaraigosa answered with a clear “no.”
Missing from the session was first-time candidate Stephen J. Cloobeck, who cited a scheduling conflict. State Sen. Toni Atkins dropped out of the race Monday. Two Republican candidates — conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — did not fill out an endorsement questionnaire from the labor union sponsoring the debate, which was required to participate.
They used their backgrounds to try to distinguish themselves
Becerra said his status as the son of immigrants from Mexico influenced his views on granting health insurance to noncitizens. “I know what happens when you feel like you’re excluded, ” he said. “There is money in the system. We will bring everyone together.”
Porter talked about being a single mom and a consumer advocate, saying she would attack powerful interests to help average people. She said she supports SB 79, a measure that would allow high-rise apartment construction near transit stops to increase the state’s housing stock. “It’s really, really important that nobody — no area, no county, no city — escapes from being part of the solution of building more housing and bringing down costs,” Porter said.
Thurmond said his background as a child of immigrants who grew up on public assistance gave him special empathy for Californians who have less. He pledged he would “continue to work to deconstruct the criminal justice society,” disdaining private prisons and jail time for minor offenses.
Villaraigosa, who also served as speaker of the Assembly, called himself a “proven problem solver” who would get opposing parties to sit down at the bargaining table and work out solutions to difficult problems.
Yee said she was not “gimmicky” or “flashy,” but knew how to balance budgets and get things done. She was alone among the candidates Sunday in focusing on the problem of climate change, insisting she would push forward, as the Trump administration retreats from policies designed to reduce greenhouse gases. “I believe in data and science,” Yee said, “and we are going to continue to be the climate leaders for the rest of the world.”
Today’s top stories 
Sam Hardman of Tehachapi, Calif., holding a sign against the California City Detention Facility housing migrants, waits in line to speak out during public comment at the City Council meeting on Sept. 23 in California City.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Immigrants decry conditions at ICE’s largest detention center in California
- California’s largest ICE detention center, a former prison in the Mojave Desert, faces complaints of poor conditions from immigrants fighting deportation.
- More than 100 detainees staged hunger strikes this month, protesting inadequate medical care, lockdowns and prison-like treatment at the CoreCivic-operated facility.
- The facility opened without city permits as part of the Trump administration’s expansion of immigration detention nationwide to accommodate up to 100,000 people.
Trump again threatens 100% tariff on movies made outside the U.S.
- President Trump said the move would help rejuvenate film production in America but that has been greeted with skepticism by many in Hollywood.
- California lawmakers are pushing federal film tax incentives as an alternative, warning tariffs would raise consumer costs and have “unintended consequences.”
Newsom signs AI transparency bill prioritizing safety
- The governor signed legislation Monday that will create new transparency measures for large AI companies, including public disclosure of security protocols and reports of critical safety incidents.
- Supporters say the new law will create “commonsense guardrails” for AI development that prioritize safety and transparency.
- The bill was introduced this year after Newsom vetoed a broader bill last year.
More big storiesCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must readsOther great readsFor your downtime 
A rendering of the Star Trek 60 “Space for Everybody” float that will be in the 2026 Rose Parade.
(Artistic Entertainment Services)
Going outStaying inA question for you: What do other drivers do on the road that frustrates you?
We’re looking for your takes on L.A. driving etiquette. Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … the photo of the day 
(John Froschauer / Associated Press)
Today’s great photo is from the Associated Press of Clayton Kershaw walking off the mound after he capped off his legendary career with a win.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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