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Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra clashed nonstop for an hour Wednesday in the sole televised debate in their contest for California governor, presenting sharply contrasting visions for how they would deal with homelessness, soaring household costs and high taxes in the nation’s most populous state.
Hilton presented himself as a change agent, saying that years of Democratic dominance in Sacramento had diminished the state in business, education and quality of life. “We’ve got to try something different,” he said in the matchup on CNN.
Becerra depicted Hilton as President Donald Trump’s handpicked choice for the job, and repeatedly invoked the president’s name throughout the debate.
“You can hear Donald Trump” in Hilton’s responses, he said at one point.
The debate played out just days before mail ballots are expected to begin arriving at homes in advance of the Nov. 3 general election. Looking to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hilton is appealing to voters who he says are desperate for change in a state known for its punishing cost of living, high taxes and long-running homeless crisis. Becerra is promising to bring down household costs, too, while continuing to push back against Trump’s agenda.
A September poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies found that Becerra had a sizable lead over Hilton. A Republican has not won a statewide election in heavily Democratic California since 2006.
Hilton has been holding a steady string of public events to try to attract voters’ attention, while Becerra has run a lower-key campaign.
He thanked CNN “for bringing Xavier out of hiding,” a dig at his rival as the debate got underway.
Hilton has Trump’s endorsement, but that could be a liability at a time when the president’s popularity has been sliding while voters grouse over climbing gas and grocery prices. Trump has had a long-strained relationship with California, where he was trounced in his three runs for the White House.
The two rivals emerged from a chaotic primary that saw former Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell exit the race — then announce he would leave Congress — following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, while billionaire Tom Steyer ran the most expensive political advertising campaign in the country in a losing effort for the Democratic nomination.
Hilton has vowed to bring down the price of gasoline to $3 a gallon, about half the current cost; cut in half residents’ utility bills, now among the nation’s highest; and eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000 in earnings.
Becerra has been leaning into his long resume in government as he maneuvers to take charge of the state. He spent more than 35 years in state and federal office, including leadership roles in the U.S. House, as California’s attorney general, and as former President Joe Biden’s health secretary. “The governor’s office is not a place with training wheels,” he likes to say.
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