The leading candidates for California governor faced off in a fiery debate Wednesday night, squabbling over pressing issues plaguing the state.
Seven candidates clashed over hot-button issues including health care, illegal immigration, homelessness, public safety and affordability during the debate in Los Angeles.
Former U.S. Health secretary and former state attorney general Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), environmental advocate and investor Tom Steyer, and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were among the Democrats who participated in the debate.
On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton took the stage.
The candidates are running to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Illegal Immigration
Arguments about immigration fell largely along party lines, with Most of the Democratic candidates taking strongly pro-immigrant positions.Becerra, who served as the state’s top law enforcement officer, vowed to increase oversight of federal immigration enforcement rather than abolish it outright as governor.
Steyer stated that California should prosecute federal agents and immigration enforcement leaders who racially profile or use violence against Californians, while Mahan said business owners in San Jose have lost customers because many immigrants are afraid to leave their homes.
Bianco, who has served as Riverside County Sheriff since 2019, argued state laws limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities and said local officials have made enforcement more difficult by restricting where federal agents can operate.
Hilton, a Trump-backed candidate, praised immigration policies under the current administration.
Health Care
The candidates sparred over whether they would eliminate private health insurance in favor of a state-run system as governor.Across the Democratic field, candidates said they believe health care should be something that should be more affordable and more widely available to residents.
The sharpest disagreement was over whether California should adopt a single-payer system or government-run health care for all.
Steyer argued that “everybody in California has a right to health care” and backed universal access. Becerra supported major expansion, including Medicare-for-all, but faced criticism for shifting positions on the topic over time.
Porter, a Democrat, raised eyebrows when she enthusiastically responded “yes” in response to whether she supports taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants. The former California congresswoman insisted that restoring coverage to illegal immigrants is “what Californians deserve.”
Billionaire’s Tax
The 2026 Billionaire Tax Act was debated among the candidates.The proposal seeks to impose a one-time tax of about 5 percent of billionaires' total wealth. Supporters want to use the tax money to pay for health care, education and social programs.
Steyer, a billionaire himself, said he supports the idea and would vote yes if the initiative is on the ballot in November.
He also said that he believes the current proposal isn’t good enough and needs to go further by taxing billionaires more than once.
Porter, in response, accused Steyer of trying to score "cheap political points" by supporting the plan.
Villaraigosa also said he opposed the billionaire tax, saying the proposal would drive away billionaires from the state, aligning himself with Newsom’s explanation of why he opposes it.
Other states have considered similar proposals, including New York, where proponents have floated a two percent increase in income tax on New Yorkers earning over $1 million annually in order to fund public services.