Five takeaways from the California gubernatorial debate

Published April 23, 2026 10:23am ET | Updated April 23, 2026 1:47pm ET



California’s gubernatorial debate on Wednesday, hosted by Nexstar, marked the first televised debate since former congressman Eric Swalwell dropped his bid over the sexual assault allegations he’s facing.

There were six candidates on the debate stage who met the 5% polling threshold. The Republican candidates were Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, and Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump. On the Democratic side, the qualifying candidates were billionaire Tom Steyer, former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

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