California Governor Candidates Clash in First Televised Debate

With key candidates absent, Hilton, Steyer and Mahan jostle for position ahead of June primary

Feb. 4, 2026 at 2:39pm by Ben Kaplan

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Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Tom Steyer and Matt Mahan clashed over homelessness, climate policy and campaign finance in California's first televised gubernatorial debate, an early test in the wide-open race for the state's top job. Two leading Democratic candidates — Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter — were unable to attend, as was Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, leaving room for the trio to position themselves ahead of the June primary.

Why it matters

With a crowded field of candidates, the televised debate provided an early opportunity for the leading contenders to differentiate themselves and appeal to voters. The absence of some key candidates also opened the door for Hilton, Steyer and Mahan to gain more visibility and potentially sway undecided voters.

The details

Hilton, a former advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, delivered some of the sharpest attacks of the night, criticizing Bianco for kneeling with protesters in 2020 and chiding Mahan for praising Governor Newsom's record on homelessness. Steyer, a self-funding billionaire, clashed with Hilton and traded barbs with Mahan, the mayor of San José. The trio appeared alongside four other Democrats, including former Attorney General Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

  • The debate took place on Tuesday, February 4, 2026 in San Francisco.
  • The June primary election is the next key milestone in the race.

The players

Steve Hilton

A Republican candidate for California governor and a former advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Tom Steyer

A Democratic candidate for California governor and a former hedge fund manager who is self-funding his campaign.

Matt Mahan

A Democratic candidate for California governor and the mayor of San José.

Eric Swalwell

A Democratic candidate for California governor and a U.S. Representative.

Katie Porter

A Democratic candidate for California governor and a former U.S. Representative.

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What they’re saying

“We cannot risk splitting the Republican vote and letting the Democrats in. Chad Bianco has got more baggage than LAX.”

— Steve Hilton (KTVU FOX 2)

“Last week, Steve came to see what's working in our interim housing communities and our outreach model, and I don't know what's changed in the last week — it seems that it's the fact that I jumped into this race. Frankly, that's exactly [what's] wrong with our politics… we denigrate ideas because of who had them.”

— Matt Mahan, Mayor of San José (KTVU FOX 2)

“Right now, the big tech CEOs are terrified about the idea of paying their fair share. And right now they're supporting Matt.”

— Tom Steyer (KTVU FOX 2)

“Tom, I've got about three billion reasons not to trust your answer on that.”

— Matt Mahan, Mayor of San José (KTVU FOX 2)

What’s next

The next key milestone in the race is the June primary election, where the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

The takeaway

The absence of some leading candidates left room for Hilton, Steyer and Mahan to jostle for position, with Hilton delivering some of the sharpest attacks of the night. The debate highlighted the wide-open nature of the race and the potential for lesser-known candidates to gain ground, even as Steyer's massive fundraising advantage looms large.