Becerra and Hilton Face Off in First Direct Debate for CA Governorship

{ "articleTitle": "Becerra and Hilton Face Off in First Direct Debate for CA Governorship", "articleDescription": "Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will meet Wednesday night in their first one-on-one televised debate for the 2026 California governor's race, just days before county election offices begin mailing ballots.", "articleBody": "

First Head-to-Head Debate Scheduled

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Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off Wednesday night in their first one-on-one televised debate in the 2026 California governor's race, according to CBS Sacramento. The CNN-hosted debate comes as the two candidates compete to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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The event takes place just days before county election offices are set to begin mailing ballots to registered voters, with the state's Oct. 5 deadline for starting mailings approaching. This marks the only scheduled face-to-face debate in the race, as noted by Los Angeles Times columnists on Sept. 30, 2026.

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Campaign Themes and Policy Positions

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Both candidates have made affordability and California's high cost of living central themes of their campaigns. Hilton has campaigned on what he calls making California \"Califordable,\" with proposals focused on lowering costs and making housing more accessible. He has blamed California's climate policies and regulations for the state's high gas prices.

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Becerra has also focused on affordability while arguing that the state needs to maintain its environmental standards. Previously, Becerra told CBS California that the state should maintain refinery capacity while continuing its transition to cleaner energy, emphasizing the need to stabilize the state's gasoline supply and prices.

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Candidate Backgrounds and Polling

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Becerra, a former California attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration, and Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, emerged from California's June top-two primary to advance to the November general election.

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Becerra has been leading in the polls, while Hilton is seeking to become the first Republican-elected California governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger. If Becerra is elected, he would become the first Latino governor of California in 150 years, since Romualdo Pacheco.

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Strategic Perspectives on the Debate

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Republican strategist Rob Stutzman said he wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Californians aren't sure who's running and can't remember what happened in the primary, potentially leading to low engagement. Democratic strategist Roger Salazar said Hilton's experience in television could make the debate particularly notable, noting Hilton has had his own talk show and has the chops for presentation.

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Salazar said Becerra's campaign has faced questions about his visibility with voters, but the Democrat has an opportunity to