Democrat Xavier Becerra\u2019s rapid rise in California\u2019s race for governor made him a ripe and constant target during a combative nationally televised debate Tuesday evening, his first real test in a high-stakes election that remains highly volatile.<\/p>\n
Becerra was ripped throughout the two-hour CNN debate, primarily by his Democratic rivals, who accused him of dodging questions about his stance on single-payer healthcare, falling short as a Biden Cabinet secretary and pocketing a campaign donation from Chevron.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everyone\u2019s invoking my name. It\u2019s nice to hear my name quite a bit,\u201d said Becerra, who served as the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration. \u201cI will tell you this: Distorting the facts in your quest to be governor is never good, but using Trump lies to try to damage your opponents is worse, and that\u2019s what we see happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
As ballots land in California voters\u2019 mailboxes, the state\u2019s seven top gubernatorial candidates clashed over immigration, President Trump, tax policy, political temperament and a hodgepodge of scandals, mudslinging and other unsavory actions that have risen to the forefront of the hotly contested race.<\/p>\n
The snarky, sometimes petulant exchanges reflect how unsettled the race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom is, as well as California\u2019s outsize economic and political gravitas on the national and international stage.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the debate began, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter chastised her fellow candidates for their unceasing attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe [the] interrupting and bickering and name calling and shouting and disrespect for everyone up here who\u2019s stepping into public service that anyone wants to talk about my temperament,\u201d said the former Democratic Congress member from Irvine.<\/p>\n
Here are the top takeaways from a two-hour debate that somehow seemed even longer:<\/p>\n
Becerra takes his lumps<\/p>\n
Beccera, who has surged<\/a> in the weeks before the June 2 primary, faced a barrage of attacks from his Republican and Democratic rivals about his oversight of unaccompanied immigrant minors during his tenure at the Health and Human Services Department and his relationship with a longtime adviser who, along with other consultants, skimmed about $225,000 from one of Becerra\u2019s dormant campaign accounts.<\/p>\n Becerra is not accused of wrongdoing and has been painted as a victim in the prosecutor\u2019s court filings. Still, conservative commentator Steve Hilton, a Republican, suggested Becerra knew about the scheme, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa<\/a>, a Democrat, questioned why Becerra paid an unusually high fee to one of the consultants named in the indictment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t pass the smell test,\u201d Villaraigosa said.<\/p>\n Becerra also was accused of changing his position on single-payer healthcare, a top priority of liberal voters that aims to create a healthcare system run and funded by the federal government.<\/p>\n Though Becerra has long supported single-payer healthcare, he recently assured members of the California Medical Assn. \u2014 one of the most influential medical lobbyinggroups in California, which has endorsed him \u2014 that he would not support it as governor, according to a KQED report.<\/p>\n When asked directly about this, Becerra said \u201cthose reports were inaccurate. I continue to be for Medicare for all.\u201d<\/p>\n Becerra sidestepped repeated questions from Porter about whether he supported a state-sponsored single-payer healthcare system in California, saying that he wants to cover \u201ceveryone with something like Medicare for all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCovering everyone with something is not single-payer. It\u2019s not even federal Medicare for all. But you won\u2019t say whether you support California having its own state-run single-payer system,\u201d Porter said.<\/p>\n Single-payer healthcare is a telling issue<\/p>\n Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer<\/a> also has taken heat for changing his position on the issue. The hedge fund founder turned environmental warrior opposed single-payer healthcare during his 2020 presidential bid and now supports a statewide single-payer system called CalCare. He is endorsed by the California Nurses Assn., one of CalCare\u2019s biggest supporters.<\/p>\n A recent analysis by UC researchers estimates CalCare would cost $731 billion to implement in 2027 \u2014 a price tag that\u2019s $14 billion larger than all anticipated healthcare spending in California next year.<\/p>\n Villaraigosa said creating a state-sponsored single-payer healthcare system \u2014 with a price tag larger than the entire state budget \u2014 is a \u201cpie in the sky\u201d proposal. He said he considers healthcare a human right but said a system such as CalCare would require approval from the Trump administration \u2014 and that\u2019s not going to happen.<\/p>\n As a former British citizen, Hilton<\/a> said he is the only candidate who has experienced government-run healthcare. <\/p>\n \u201cAs a patient, it nearly killed me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s another story we don\u2019t have time for. As a policymaker, you end up with the worst patient satisfaction, costs that you can\u2019t afford, taxes, sky-high to pay for it. It is a total disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n Race remains a toss-up<\/p>\n The 2026 gubernatorial contest<\/a> has been an undulating, unpredictable whirlwind<\/a>. Unlike every governor\u2019s race for more than a quarter of a century, there is no clear frontrunner, leading to a sprawling field of candidates with notable resumes but little recognition among California\u2019s 23.1 million registered voters. <\/p>\n On Monday, the state Democratic Party released its latest voter survey<\/a>, which found Hilton and Becerra tied at 18%, and Bianco with 14%. Steyer received the backing of 12%, while support for the other top Democrats in the race \u2014 Porter, San Jos\u00e9 Mayor Matt Mahan, Villaraigosa and State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond \u2014 was in the single digits. Thurmond did not meet the polling threshold to qualify for Tuesday\u2019s debate or an NBC\/Telemundo face-off taking place on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s debate with the leading candidates took place at East Los Angeles College and was hosted by CNN, the first time national media has paid such attention to a California statewide contest since 2010. <\/p>\n Partisan divide on immigration<\/p>\n On the debate stage in Los Angeles, a city that was targeted by Trump administration immigration raids, Bianco criticized California\u2019s sanctuary state laws, which prevent local law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. <\/p>\n Villaraigosa defended the undocumented immigrants residing in California, saying they are vital to the economic success of the state. He also accused Bianco of not understanding how California\u2019s sanctuary state policy works \u2014 with the former Los Angeles mayor telling him that California has turned over thousands of undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes to federal immigration officials. <\/p>\n Bianco dismissed Villaraigosa\u2019s comment immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cI want Mr. Villaraigosa to tell the mother of the 14-year-old in my county that is dead because of an illegal immigrant that had been deported three times because of DUIs that sanctuary state policy keeps us safe. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s going to agree with you,\u201d Bianco said.<\/p>\n Democrats Porter, Steyer, Mahan and Becerra accused the Trump administration of \u201cterrorizing\u201d Latino communities and targeting people for deportation based on the color of their skin.<\/p>\n Steyer said he would prosecute ICE agents \u201cand the people who send them,\u201d including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump advisor Stephen Miller, for illegal racial profiling.<\/p>\n Agreement on need for housing<\/p>\n