The first major televised showdown in California’s wide-open 2026 gubernatorial race took place Wednesday night, April 22, on Nexstar stations statewide, including KRON4 in the Bay Area.

With Eric Swalwell now out of the California Governor's race, candidate Tom Steyer has risen to the top in the latest polling. Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate crusader, is still pitching himself as California’s affordability savior in the 2026 gubernatorial race. He vows to slash electricity bills by 25% through competition against utility monopolies and an aggressive push for renewables.

LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California and KABC-TV abruptly canceled a high-profile 2026 California gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 24, after days of intense criticism that its invitation criteria unfairly excluded prominent candidates of color. The event, titled “Your Voice, Your Vote: Race for Governor 2026,” had been set to air live from USC’s Bovard Auditorium and stream statewide.

Steve Hilton “hit it out of the park” according to polls on Tuesday evening at the February 3, 2026, California gubernatorial debate hosted by KTVU FOX 2 and FOX 11 in San Francisco. The debate featured six democratic candidates—Antonio Villaraigosa, Matt Mahan, Betty Yee, Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, and Tony Thurmond, with Steve Hilton as the lone Republican participating.

Seven leading candidates for California governor will face off Tuesday in a major debate hosted by KTVU FOX 2, in partnership with KTTV FOX 11 and the Black Action Alliance. The event, scheduled just months ahead of the June 2 primary, will cover key issues like housing affordability, wildfire preparedness, economic recovery, and public safety. The debate takes place at the Ruth Williams Bay View Opera House in San Francisco from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PST.