The 2026 California Governor debate will feature eight leading candidates on April 28 at the Pomona College Bridges Auditorium. This is the second of three televised debates before the June 2 primary.
The 90-minute debate will bring together a bipartisan field of two Republicans and six Democrats for a discussion of the major issues facing the state.
Nine candidates were originally invited to the gubernatorial debate. Eight have confirmed participation after Betty Yee, a Democrat who initially accepted, later dropped out of the race. Her departure followed that of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who exited the governor’s race earlier this month amid sexual misconduct allegations he has denied.
Eight candidates are confirmed to participate
Xavier Becerra (D)
Becerra is the former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden and former California Attorney General. He centered his campaign on healthcare which includes working toward a single-payer healthcare system to make healthcare more affordable.
Chad Bianco (R)
The Riverside County Sheriff has built his campaign around public safety, calling for greater law enforcement resources and penalties for repeat violent offenders.
Steve Hilton (R)
Hilton is a former Fox News host and one-time adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron. He has proposed eliminating state income taxes for those earning under $100,000 and a flat 7.5% rate above that threshold.
Matt Mahan (D)
Mahan is the current mayor of San Jose and has proposed suspending the state gas tax and a two-year moratorium on new housing taxes to address affordability.
Katie Porter (D)
The former congresswoman represented Southern California from 2019 to 2025 and ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 before entering the governor race.
Tom Steyer (D)
Steyer is a billionaire investor and 2020 presidential candidate. He supports single-payer healthcare and has pledged to criminally prosecute federal immigration agents who violate California law.
Tony Thurmond (D)
As the Superintendent of Public Instruction for California, Thurmond is qualified for the Pomona debate based on polling and ballot status.
Antonio Villaraigosa (D)
The former Los Angeles mayor is making his second bid for governor after finishing third in 2018. He has focused on housing and energy infrastructure.
The debate is nonpartisan, with candidates selected by the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) in partnership with CBS and Pomona College using transparent criteria.
To qualify, candidates were required to hold active campaigns, appear on the ballot, and register at least 1% support in both the Emerson College and LA Times/UC Berkeley polls. Pomona College, neutral in matters of politics, is hosting the forum to provide the community a space to participate regardless of party affiliation.
The first debate was hosted by Nexstar on April 22 at KRON4 Studios in San Francisco with six candidates. A third and final debate will air May 5 on CNN. County elections officials are set to begin mailing ballots to registered voters on May 4.
California’s open primary system means the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the November general election.
CBS stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno and Santa Barbara will broadcast and stream the debate. Viewers can also stream it live at CBSLA.com, CBSSacramento.com and KPIX.com.