Republicans Lead in California Governor Race After Debate Cancellation

Debate implosion and Democratic disarray play into GOP frontrunners' hands

Mar. 28, 2026 at 2:38pm

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The planned gubernatorial debate at the University of Southern California was abruptly canceled less than 24 hours before it was set to take place, as the crowded field of Democratic candidates couldn't agree on the proposed ground rules. This disarray handed an opportunity to the leading Republican candidates, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, who continued to criticize Democrats and lay out their visions for reforming California.

Why it matters

The debate cancellation and subsequent failure to quickly reorganize played into the hands of the leading Republican candidates, Hilton and Bianco, who have been consistently polling ahead of their Democratic counterparts. This highlights the challenges facing the Democratic party in California, where a crowded field of candidates and internal disagreements could allow the Republicans to gain a foothold in a traditionally blue state.

The details

The debate was supposed to take place at a critical time, with two Republican candidates consistently running ahead of their Democratic counterparts, none of whom has broken out of a crowded field. The debate's cancellation came after the university said it could not reach an agreement on expanding the number of candidates to include those polling in the single digits, such as California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California State Controller Betty Yee.

  • The debate was scheduled to take place on March 24, 2026.
  • The debate was canceled less than 24 hours before it was set to take place.

The players

Steve Hilton

The leading candidate for governor of California and a Republican.

Chad Bianco

The Riverside County Sheriff and a Republican candidate for governor.

Tony Thurmond

The California Superintendent of Public Instruction and a Democratic candidate for governor.

Antonio Villaraigosa

The former Mayor of Los Angeles and a Democratic candidate for governor.

Betty Yee

The former California State Controller and a Democratic candidate for governor.

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What they’re saying

“This is just so symptomatic of everything that's wrong with California. Everything is broken, from the high-speed rail, where they haven't laid any tracks. Then last week we saw that $100 million butterfly bridge to nowhere. Nothing works. Everything's broken. It's all a shambles. They can't even organize a debate.”

— Steve Hilton

“Our political system is rigged. The California Democratic Party is essentially telling every candidate of color in the race for governor to drop out.”

— Tony Thurmond

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The debate cancellation and subsequent failure to quickly reorganize played into the hands of the leading Republican candidates, Hilton and Bianco, who have been consistently polling ahead of their Democratic counterparts. This highlights the challenges facing the Democratic party in California, where a crowded field of candidates and internal disagreements could allow the Republicans to gain a foothold in a traditionally blue state.