Here Are The Highlights From California's First Gubernatorial Debate

California’s first gubernatorial debate kicked off on Wednesday night.

The race to be California’s next Governor is wide open after the leading candidate, former Rep Eric Swalwell, dropped out of the race after facing sexual assault allegations.

The debate featured four Democrats and two Republicans.

Here are the highlights or lowlights!

First, we start off with the remarks from candidate Katie Porter saying she would fight the Trump administration over its polices that require truck drivers to speak English:

Democrat California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter says she would "fight the Trump administration" on requiring truck drivers to speak English. pic.twitter.com/AmLrJvOrs4

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 23, 2026

Here’s the Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton ripping on Democrats:

BREAKING: Steve Hilton RIPS Democrats’ “insatiable appetite for more and more taxes for their bottomless money pit” during the California Governor debate pic.twitter.com/MEOr9nkdor

— Kalshi Politics (@KalshiPolitics) April 23, 2026

He flipped the script on them instantly.

California Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton (R) gave a masterful response to the debate moderator who tried to use President Trump’s endorsement of him as an attack against him.

MODERATOR: “Mr. Hilton, you said you were ‘deeply… pic.twitter.com/EvpBVxxaIy

— Overton (@overton_news) April 23, 2026

ABC 7 News reported more on the debate:

There were a few fiesty run-ins but few fireworks as the field of six faced off in the first televised debate since early front-runner and former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out less than two weeks ago amid sexual assault allegations.

On the stage were four Democrats — Billionaire Tom Steyer, former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and San José Mayor Matt Mahan. There were also two Republicans — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator and former Fox News host Steve Hilton. President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton earlier this month.

The field quickly traded jabs over experience.

“We deserve better answers than the answers that we’ve been getting from the other candidates on this stage. We don’t need a billionaire who made his money in private prisons and oil and gas that he’s now supposedly against, or Trump’s handpicked candidate, or a D.C. insider who the Sacramento establishment is now rallying around,” Mahan said.

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“I’ll make sure as governor I tackle these crises because I’ve been through these crises before and had to handle them. We need someone with experience. Someone who doesn’t need on-the-job training the moment they get into the governor’s office,” Bacerra said.

During the 90-minute debate, they faced questions ranging from the housing crisis to gas and mileage tax.

This was a heated moment:

BREAKING: Tom Steyer pushes Steve Hilton and wags his finger in his face in a feisty exchange during the California Governor debate pic.twitter.com/ySMJHavTjy

— Kalshi Politics (@KalshiPolitics) April 23, 2026

The Hill reported that no candidate commanded the stage:

Though the stakes were high for candidates to snag a viral moment or standout 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 was able to move the needle.

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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.

Watch the full debate here: