First California Governor Debate

Becerra and Hilton Face Off in First Debate for California Governor Race

Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are set to face off in their first one-on-one televised debate in the 2026 California governor's race. The CNN-hosted debate comes as the two candidates compete to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. BecerRA, a former California attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration, and Hilton, a 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. Both candidates have made affordability and California's high cost of living central themes of their campaigns. The debate comes just days before the state's Oct. 5 deadline for county election offices to begin mailing ballots to registered voters.