Two debates this week could reshape California’s governor race
Seven leading candidates to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom will face off in back-to-back debates Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
With early voting underway ahead of the June 2 primary, the debates will be among the last chances candidates have for a viral moment or snappy soundbite before voters cast their ballots.
The San Francisco Examiner and CBS News Bay Area are hosting another debate in San Francisco on May 14, but it’s not clear yet which candidates will attend that event.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who is leading the governor’s race?
There’s no obvious frontrunner in the race that’s taken lots of twists and turns over the last year, especially over the last month. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell showed signs of breaking away from the pack last month before several women came forward accusing him of sexual misconduct. Swalwell denied the accusations but suspended his campaign and resigned from Congress.
After Swalwell dropped out, former state attorney general Xavier Becerra shot up in polls and, according to a poll commissioned by the California Democratic Party released Monday, is now the top Democrat in the race. That poll showed him tied with Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, at 18%. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was the second-highest polling Republican, with 14% support, while Democratic environmental activist Tom Steyer was the top choice for 12% of voters.
The remaining Democrats who will appear in the debates — former Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — will be looking for a big moment to catapult them out of the single digits. California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who has struggled to raise money, did not qualify for the debates.
Two recent debates didn’t seem to dramatically shift the dynamics of the race. This time, Becerra will be the obvious target for Democrats, according to Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta.
“That’s not rocket science,” Acosta said. “He’s the crab crawling out of the bucket and they’re going to try to pull him back in.”
Where can I watch the debates?
Tuesday night’s debate will be hosted by CNN and runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will air live on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. CNN subscribers can also stream the debate. CNN journalists Kaitlan Collins and Elex Michaelson will moderate.
Los Angeles TV station KNBC will host Wednesday’s debate alongside KVEA, a Telemundo affiliate. That event begins at 7 p.m. and viewers in Sacramento can watch it on local NBC affiliate KCRA or Telemundo affiliate KSCO. The event will also stream for free on nbcla.com or telemundo52.com. Reporters with the stations will moderate the event.
