About tonight's debate
• CNN is hosting a California gubernatorial debate between Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, just weeks before Election Day as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The top concern on voters’ minds is the cost of living — and both campaigns have largely oriented their policy platforms around addressing it.
• Becerra, a former Health and Human Services secretary, has been pitching himself as the experienced choice to voters, while Hilton, a Trump-endorsed Republican, has blamed Democratic leadership for high costs in the state.
• The two candidates emerged among a crowded field of contenders in the primary election in June, but Hilton faces an uphill climb in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 20 years.
• Stream the debate live at 9 p.m. ET with an All Access subscription.
California is grappling with AI regulations. Here's what the candidates have said
California is engaged in a high-stakes legislative and political debate over artificial intelligence regulation, after an AI containment failure and industry leaders warning of the dangers of the new technology.
In July, OpenAI said some of its experimental AI models left a test environment with no human direction and hacked their way onto another company’s real production systems while trying to “cheat” on a cybersecurity test. Earlier this month, Anthropic said it has blocked multiple accounts that used the company’s AI models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons.
The disclosures followed a growing chorus of warnings from employees who’ve recently left their AI companies over safety concerns, claiming that the technology is moving too quickly. For now, AI companies are largely policing themselves.
Last month at a summit hosted by Politico, Hilton criticized leaders in the artificial intelligence space for tanking public trust by making “endless, doom-laden predictions.” He has campaigned on keeping “California the AI capital of the world,” according to his website.
He has also pushed back against “overregulation” and advocated for growth.
Hilton has used AI to create campaign advertisements, including one that autoplays on his website depicting Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Becerra. The ad prompted Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff to reintroduce the AI Ads Act to ban impersonating candidates, arguing Hilton’s move was fraudulent, according to CNN affiliate KXTV.
In a statement to KXTV responding to questions about the ad, Hilton attacked his opponent and Democratic leadership in the state.
Becerra, while vowing to enforce the existing safety laws, said he wants to use AI to help solve problems in California and expand programs to bolster AI literacy, according to his website.
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips and Hadas Gold contributed reporting to this post.
Hilton blames Democrats for California's high cost of living
Steve Hilton is blaming Democrats for the California’s high cost of living as he works to pitch himself as a change agent to voters in November.
The Republican said at the last debate in May that it is “Democrat policies that all these Democrats support.” Hilton, who is a supporter of President Donald Trump and has his endorsement, pointed to other states where the cost of living is lower.
On his website, Hilton claims the state is “failing because the insiders built a system that makes life more expensive, protects the political class and punishes the people who actually do the work.”
He has proposed policies to address affordability and the cost of living, including a pledge to bring gasoline down to $3 a gallon by eliminating environmental regulations and slashing the state gas tax.
A gallon of regular gas in California is an average of $6.39 a gallon, as of today, according to AAA, well above the national average of $4.43.
The state’s gas taxes were the highest in the country, as of January, according to USAFacts.
He also promised to cut energy bills by going after utility companies and end wind and solar mandates and subsidies. Hilton also pledged to abolish the California Department of Motor Vehicles and replace it with automated services and capping annual car registration fees at $73.
Additionally, Hilton proposed making the first $150,000 of income free of state tax for all residents.
Tori B. Powell contributed reporting to this post.
How Becerra and Hilton described Gov. Newsom's job performance at the last debate
Gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton gave different answers at the last debate to describe California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s job performance in one word.
They are vying to become Newsom’s successor and will take to the debate stage again tonight to try to win over voters before the midterm elections in November.
Here’s how they described Newsom:
- Hilton, a Republican who is backed by President Donald Trump, said Newsom’s tenure has been “failed.”
- He has also criticized Democrats’ management of the state.
- Becerra, a Democrat who previously served in the Biden administration as the Health and Human Services secretary, said the governor’s performance has been “game-changing.”
What candidates have said about the billionaires’ tax also on the ballot in November
California voters will decide on a billionaires’ tax, which would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents with a net worth over $1 billion.
The measure, Proposition 40, is a wealth tax, meaning it will tax the total value of the person’s assets — rather than yearly income. It has some exclusions, according to the California Budget & Policy Center, but would generate tens of billions of dollars that would go toward supporting healthcare programs, schools and food assistance.
Backers of the measure gathered more than 870,000 signatures and include progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and California Rep. Ro Khanna. The California Democratic Party has also endorsed the measure.
However, outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, said he opposes the proposal. He and others fear it would drive businesses out of California, and that the revenue collected would not be spread around widely enough.
What the candidates have said:
- Xavier Becerra: The Democratic candidate has sided with Newsom in opposing the measure, according to a statement. He said he would support other tax proposals on the ballot, including Proposition 3, which provides funding for schools by making higher income state tax rates permanent for high earners in California, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
- Steve Hilton: The Republican strongly opposes the billionaire tax. He warned in an interview with Fox Business last month it could drive wealthy residents and employers out of the state and strain the economy.
CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed reporting to this post.
What Steve Hilton said about the biggest issues facing California voters
Republican candidate Steve Hilton sat down with CNN’s Elex Michaelson in July to discuss the biggest issues facing the state’s voters. Here’s what he had to say.
Hilton is running against Democrat Xavier Becerra. Tonight, the two will face each other during a CNN-hosted debate in Los Angeles.
What we know about Xavier Becerra and his tenure in the Biden administration
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was the top vote-getter in California’s gubernatorial primary election and has pitched himself to voters as the experienced choice.
The exit of then-Rep. Eric Swalwell before the primaries created a vacuum in the crowded race for Becerra, who also served as a Los Angeles-area US congressman and California attorney general.
Becerra has been arguing he’s already taken on many of the roles expected of the next governor, including balancing budgets and managing large, complex agencies as HHS secretary. As California attorney general, he sued President Donald Trump’s first administration more than 120 times.
Nominated by President Joe Biden in December 2020 to serve as the Health and Human Services secretary, Becerra faced a contentious Senate confirmation process due to his legal background rather than a traditional medical career. He was the first Latino to hold the job.
But during the Covid-19 pandemic, Becerra was criticized for maintaining a lower profile.
As secretary, he also faced scrutiny for his department’s handling of a record surge of unaccompanied migrant minors who arrived at the US-Mexico border. The children were placed in HHS custody, with some languishing in emergency facilities.
CNN’s Elise Hammond contributed to this report.
Takeaways from when Becerra and Hilton took part in a crowded debate in May
At the last California gubernatorial debate in May, seven candidates were working to distinguish themselves in a crowded field.
Now two of them, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra, are taking the stage tonight, this time trying to convince voters they are the best person to lead the state.
Many of the candidates during the May debate went after Becerra, who seemed to emerge as the frontrunner after Rep. Eric Swalwell exited the race following sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies. They also went after the two Republicans on the stage, including Hilton.
Revisit Becerra and Hilton’s last debate performance:
- Becerra blamed the state’s problems on President Donald Trump, saying gas prices are up due to the war in Iran and grocery costs are high because of tariffs. Hilton, meantime, blamed the issues on Democrats and the state’s Democratic leadership.
- Becerra was asked whether he still supports a single-payer, government-funded healthcare system. The former Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has supported single-payer for decades, but KQED reported he backtracked as he sought the endorsement from the California Medical Association. During the debate, Becerra tried to push back on claims he was distancing himself from Medicare for All.
- Becerra also faced criticism over a case involving his former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty last year to charges related to the theft of Becerra campaign funds. Becerra has not been charged with any wrongdoing in relation to the case, but Hilton accused Becerra of being “mired, personally, in a corruption scandal.” Becerra told Hilton to read the indictment. “I was not involved in the action,” Becerra said.
- Though Trump has endorsed him, Hilton treaded carefully around the topic of the president, perhaps recognizing how unpopular Trump is in deep-blue California.
- Hilton reiterated his belief that the governor should be focused on working with the president, regardless of party. But he otherwise sought to stay out of the fray as the Democratic candidates bashed Trump and invoked the endorsement.
- In one exchange, Becerra said “Donald Trump’s his daddy, and he will protect him all the way through.” Hilton said he didn’t “want to respond to silly name-calling,” before changing the topic.
Meet Republican Steve Hilton, who wants to defy odds in California
Republican Steve Hilton is an unconventional political figure who went from being a political adviser in the United Kingdom to hosting a show on Fox News to becoming a CEO.
Now he is looking to add “California governor” to his resume. Hilton finished second in the gubernatorial primary, advancing to the general election where he will take on Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Eventually, he served as a senior adviser to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California in 2012, where he co-founded a crowdfunding platform.
He became a US citizen in 2021, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
Hilton’s campaign faces a steep climb in a state with about 4.6 million more registered Democrats than there are Republicans, according to recent voter registration statistics.
President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Hilton. “With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, endorsing Hilton in April.
How to watch tonight's California gubernatorial debate
CNN will host a California gubernatorial debate tonight, just weeks before Election Day, as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The one-hour debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra, who served as Health and Human Services secretary during the Biden administration, and Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, will take place at 9 p.m. ET (6p.m. PT).
CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the event, which will take place in the Los Angeles area.
- How to watch: The debate will stream live for CNN’s streaming and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps.
Following the live event, the debate will be available on demand to CNN’s streaming and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.
Read here for more about what to expect from the candidates tonight.
