In crowded CA gubernatorial debate, Democrats spar while Republicans blame incumbents

Politics In California's crowded gubernatorial debate, Democrats go on offense while Republicans lay blame on incumbents By Anne Bryson, Fin Daniel Gómez Fin Daniel Gómez Political Director and Executive Director of Politics and White House, CBS News Fin Daniel Gómez is CBS News' political director and executive director, Politics and White House. In this role, Gómez oversees the daily White House and political coverage for CBS News and works closely with Washington bureau leadership to inform the Network's political coverage. Read Full Bio Fin Daniel Gómez April 29, 2026 / 10:39 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The primary election in California's gubernatorial contest is just over a month away, and the race remains wide open. At a gubernatorial debate this week, a half-dozen Democrats offered divergent views on the state's future — most of whom are within striking distance of each other in the polls — while two Republicans battled for space on the general election ballot.CBS News' California governor's debate Tuesday night featured the largest number of participants to date. The field includes progressive Democratic candidates Tom Steyer and Katie Porter competing against more moderate contenders Xavier Becerra and Matt Mahan, as well as Antonio Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond. The top-performing candidate in a recent CBS News poll of the deep-blue state is a Republican — Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton — with fellow GOP contender Chad Bianco trailing a few points behind. But the distance between Hilton and second-place Steyer is just one percentage point, and one-fourth of voters are undecided, leaving the race unsettled.Candidates fielded questions from new CBS News polling on issues that resonate with California voters — healthcare, insurance, education, homelessness and immigration. Affordability permeated every topic, as candidates offered their solutions to the high costs Californians r...