California’s wide-open governor’s race hit the debate stage Wednesday night, and any voters looking for spicy signature moments were unfortunately met with a six-candidate serving of meh.
The televised debate in San Francisco largely slogged through familiar talking points on costs of living, immigration, public safety and President Trump — with candidates often talking past each other in a race that’s still lacking clarity after the implosion of former Democratic front-runner Eric Swalwell.
Xavier Becerra had a golden opportunity to capitalize on his surge in the polls since Swalwell’s career collapse after accusations of rape and sexual assault, but the former Biden cabinet member’s dull and bumbling dad vibes reminded viewers why he sat comfortably in sixth place just 10 days ago.
In one instance, Becerra incorrectly suggested Trump recently started a war with Iraq instead of Iran.
“Ironically enough, though, if you’re a Democratic legislator or donor, he clearly came across as the safest choice,” said Dan Schnur, a teacher of political communications at USC and UC Berkeley.
California’s gas tax was one of the few issues that produced the cleanest divides on stage.
Becerra defended keeping it to fund infrastructure, while progressive billionaire Tom Steyer — who called himself the “change agent” in the race and cited attacks from groups like PG&E, oil companies and other special interests — shifted blame to oil companies. He later expressed support for a mileage tax.
Former congresswoman Katie Porter acknowledged affordability concerns but tied the issue to healthier air and a strong climate policy, while San Jose mayor Matt Mahan repeated his call for a temporary suspension and reform.
The two Republicans on stage kept it blunt.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco pushed to eliminate the gas tax entirely, saying any loss in revenue could be made up by attacking pervasive waste, fraud and abuse, while former Fox News host Steve Hilton vowed to slash the tax and boost in-state oil production as governor because Californians are “being crushed by the gas prices.”
The closest thing to a real clash came over a controversial video showing a California Highway Patrol officer giving a roadside English proficiency test to a truck driver — raising the issue of racial profiling and the broader fight over immigration between California and the Trump administration.
Bianco wasn’t buying it.
“You either violated the law or you didn’t,” he said. “End of story.”
Porter unloaded on Bianco, saying she was “stunned” by the sheriff’s comments on people being “terrorized and racially profiled.”
“It’s not something that you get over,” she said. “It’s something that you fight.”
Hilton took a harder line on immigration, suggesting it is “completely ridiculous that we have people driving on our roads who can’t understand road signs and can’t speak English.”
Steyer countered with a legalistic approach that barely moved the needle. “Racial profiling is illegal,” he said.
Mahan, a moderate Democrat, had one of the few zingers of the evening in taking Steyer to task while defending his own housing record.
“The only housing Tom Steyer has built are private prisons and ICE detention facilities,” Mahan said, referencing just two ways in which the billionaire built his wealth.
The debate did expose a sharp divide in how candidates assess Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of homelessness — and the contrast was as much about tone as it was about policy.
Democrats largely graded on a curve, defending Newsom’s approach while acknowledging uneven results.
Porter gave him a “B” and credited the governor with focusing the state on housing as the root cause. Steyer landed in a similar range with a “B minus,” framing the issue bluntly: “No one gets well on the street.”
Hilton jumped in to take a jab at Porter.
“Wow. I’d love to take your class, Katie, if you get a B for what Gavin Newsom’s done on homelessness. My goodness, of course, it’s an F.”
Becerra went furthest in defending Newsom.
“On effort, I would give him an A,” said Becerra, who appears likely to pick up support from political operatives in Newsom’s orbit.
Elizabeth Ashford, a Democratic political strategist, told The Post that Becerra’s comments on “freezing” insurance rates would resonate with voters.
“Xavier showed why he’s surging,” Ashford said. “He’s tough and trustworthy, he’s ready to enforce the law, and has the receipts on Trump.”
Schnur tended to agree, although he noted that debate viewers were likely to come to conclusions ahead of the June 2 election based on their own ideologies rather than the candidates themselves.
“As hard as the candidates worked not to answer the questions they were asked, Californians finally have a fairly clear view of the options available to them,” Schnur told The Post.
“If they want to move leftward, then Steyer or Porter is the answer. If they want to move to the center, Matt Mahan is the best option. And if they want to move further right, either Bianco or Hilton is the answer.”
He added, “And if anybody misses Joe Biden, Xavier Becerra is the answer.”
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