California’s chaotic 2026 governor’s race erupted on live TV Tuesday night as Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra took sustained hits from rivals on immigration, health care and a campaign finance scandal, while the debate stage also flashed another problem for Democrats: a personal conduct controversy involving former Rep. Katie Porter.
The two-hour CNN debate, moderated by Kaitlan Collins, showcased a field that looks anything but settled as ballots begin landing in mailboxes. Recent polling shows Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton tied at 18%, with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 14% and billionaire Tom Steyer at 12%.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited, the candidates fought over immigration, President Donald Trump, taxes, political temperament and a growing pile of scandals that have become fuel in a race with no clear runaway leader.
Becerra, the former Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, tried to brush off repeated mentions of his name as rivals piled on.
“I think everyone’s invoking my name. It’s nice to hear my name quite a bit,” Becerra said. “I will tell you this: Distorting the facts in your quest to be governor is never good, but using Trump lies to try to damage your opponents is worse, and that’s what we see happening.”
Becerra was hammered over his oversight of unaccompanied immigrant minors at HHS, his position on single-payer health care and an indictment-related controversy involving a longtime adviser and consultants accused of skimming about $225,000 from one of his dormant campaign accounts.
Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing and has been portrayed as a victim in prosecutors’ filings. Still, his opponents pressed him hard.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa questioned why Becerra paid an unusually high fee to one of the consultants named in the indictment.
“It doesn’t pass the smell test,” Villaraigosa said.
Health care was one of the night’s most combustible topics. Becerra was accused of shifting his stance on single-payer, a priority for many liberal voters. He denied reports that he told the California Medical Assn. he would not back single-payer as governor.
“those reports were inaccurate. I continue to be for Medicare for all,” Becerra said.
Porter challenged Becerra repeatedly, pressing him on whether he would back a state-run single-payer system in California.
“Covering everyone with something is not single-payer. It’s not even federal Medicare for all. But you won’t say whether you support California having its own state-run single-payer system,” Porter said.
Steyer also took heat for his own evolution on the issue. The billionaire and environmental activist opposed single-payer during his 2020 presidential run and now backs a statewide plan known as CalCare. A recent analysis by UC researchers estimates CalCare would cost $731 billion to implement in 2027.
This was painful to watch.
Democrat Katie Porter nearly BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS on the debate stage after CNN’s Kaitlan Collins confronts her with her own profanity-laced video of her berating a staffer.
Collins brought it up twice in just a few minutes. Brutal.
PORTER: “I have… pic.twitter.com/A3EFmw0RJZ
— Overton (@overton_news) May 6, 2026
Villaraigosa labeled the concept unrealistic, calling a California single-payer plan a “pie in the sky” and arguing it would require approval from the Trump administration.
Hilton, a former British citizen, leaned on his experience with the U.K.’s government-run health care system.
“As a patient, it nearly killed me,” Hilton said. “That’s another story we don’t have time for. As a policymaker, you end up with the worst patient satisfaction, costs that you can’t afford, taxes, sky-high to pay for it. It is a total disaster.”
Early in the debate, Porter also scolded the field for constant crossfire and interruptions.
“I can’t believe the interrupting and bickering and name calling and shouting and disrespect for everyone up here who’s stepping into public service that anyone wants to talk about my temperament,” Porter said.
But Collins later confronted Porter with a separate issue that, according to a post-debate account circulating online, rattled the former congresswoman: a profanity-laced video in which Porter berates a staffer.
“I have taken responsibility hundreds of times.”
“And that’s appropriate because I made a bad decision and I treated someone badly.”
“I apologized five years ago for it…”
“And we worked together for four more years.”
The exchange underscored how personal conduct and campaign baggage are now bleeding into a race already dominated by policy fights and internal Democratic sniping.
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