Campaign

5 takeaways from first major California governor’s debate after Swalwell exit

Comments:

by Julia Mueller and Caroline Vakil - 04/23/26 12:39 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Julia Mueller and Caroline Vakil - 04/23/26 12:39 AM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Six candidates running for California governor squared off on the debate stage Wednesday, yet the forum may have created more questions than answers for politcal observers, as Democrats struggle to coalesce around a candidate ahead of the June primary

The debate came just weeks after Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who was seen as a Democratic frontrunner in the race, dropped out and resigned from Congress after sexual assault allegations surfaced. The former congressman has denied any wrongdoing.

Swalwell’s exit scrambled the field, though it offered a chance for two other Democratic candidates to compete at Wednesday’s debate, hosted by The Hill’s parent company NewsNation and Nexstar.

Democrat Betty Yee also dropped out of the race this week, narrowing the competitive field amid enduring concerns that the amount of Democratic candidates could splinter the party’s vote. The top two vote-getters on the June 2 primary ballot will advance to the general, regardless of party affiliation — opening the door for two candidates from the same party to move forward.

With a little over a month to go until the primary, the candidates are on the hunt for stand-out moments on the debate stage and beyond that could propel them to the front of the primary pack.

Here are key takeaways from Wednesday’s debate:

No candidate commands the stage

Though the stakes were high for candidates to snag a viral moment or stand-out response on the San Francisco stage, the 90-minute debate was largely free of fireworks.

The rivals were largely civil, despite some sharp exchanges as the candidates worked to define themselves against their competition. They generally avoided delving into much controversial territory with their answers, and all Democrats agreed to endorse whichever member of their party advances to the general election.

The onus was on Democrats to differentiate themselves in the crowded race and capitalize on Swalwell’s departure, and it remains to be seen whether any of the candidates were able to move the needle.

The campaigns, however, took quickly to social media to seize on debate moments.

Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer’s team, for example, knocked former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a fellow Democrat, for mistakenly referring to President Trump’s war in Iran as “war in Iraq.” If a video takes off in the hours or days after the debate, it could end up being pivotal in reaching voters on the fence, even if it didn’t make much of a splash during the live showing.

Democrats avoid explicit Newsom criticism as he stays out of race

Most of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the debate avoided criticizing California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) too harshly as he has so far avoided picking a favorite.

Asked to give the term-limited governor a letter grade on his handling of homelessness, Becerra gave Newsom an A-grade “on effort,” the highest of the bunch.

Former Rep. Katie Porter (D) decided on a B-grade, giving him “a lot of credit for calling attention to the problem.” Steyer, who refused to grade Newsom last month, offered a B-minus on this issue.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (D) initially tried to skirt the question, but ultimately landed on a B-grade for Newsom on policy and a D-grade for all Democrats on implementation. Both Republicans, former Fox News Host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, gave Newsom a failing grade.

The answers from Democrats stopped short of any sharp criticism against the governor, who has so far avoided backing a potential successor.

“I’m supporting a Democrat in the runoff and look forward to the voters making that decision very shortly,” Newsom told reporters this week. “There are a lot of outstanding candidates with extraordinary records. I can name seven of them.”

Swalwell’s exit largely on the back burner

The controversy around Swalwell amid allegations of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct — accusations that the former lawmaker has denied — was briefly brought up during the debate.

Becerra, who served in the House from 1993 to 2017, was asked during the debate what rumors he had heard about Swalwell when he served in the House. The former California attorney general, who said in a recent interview he was aware of rumors about the former lawmaker, served as the House Democratic Caucus chair when Swalwell was first elected to Congress.

“You hear rumors all the time about all sorts of things. Rumors are not facts, and the caucus — the Democratic caucus — is not a place that adjudicate