Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1 Next image Previous image Toggle captionSkip to navigation Seven of the leading contenders in California’s unexpectedly dramatic race for governor will meet on a debate stage Tuesday night. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters View image in fullscreen Seven of the leading contenders in California’s unexpectedly dramatic race for governor will meet on a debate stage Tuesday night. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters California gubernatorial frontrunners clash in high-stakes debate as early voting gets under wayRepublican and Democratic candidates met again in race shaped by Eric Swalwell’s exit and Xavier Becerra’s rise Seven of the leading contenders in California’s unexpectedly dramatic race for governor faced off on Tuesday night, in a feisty, high-stakes showdown that arrived as voters begin casting ballots in the state’s nonpartisan primary.The heightened tenor of the two-hour scrap matchup reflected how important the candidates viewed the debate, which aired on CNN to a national audience.“This is a very serious moment for California. The ballots are out there in your hands, and we have a really big choice to make, which is, do we go for another four years of one party rule?” said Republican Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host who has continually led the jumbled field.The tumultuous contest to succeed the outgoing Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, began to take clearer shape…
Published: May 5, 2026 11:02 pm
Source: The Guardian — Read original