‘We protected kids’: Becerra on defensive —again — in California governor debate
For the second night in a row, Democrat Xavier Becerra was in the hot seat.
Ahead in some polls in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services defended, deflected and punched back at four Democrats and two Republicans at the second straight debate ahead of the June 2 primaries.
Just two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.
Wednesday’s debate, hosted by Los Angeles NBC and Telemundo affiliates, initially seemed like a far calmer antidote to a combative CNN forum Tuesday night. There were even moments of consensus around issues like extending the life of California’s last nuclear plant and matching film production tax credits offered by other states and countries.
But eventually, the candidates turned on each other, and particularly on Becerra.
A California Democratic Party poll released Monday showed the former state attorney general tied with Republican Steve Hilton at 18%. They were trailed by Republican Chad Bianco with 14% and Democrat Tom Steyer with 12%.
Here’s what to know about the debate.
Becerra on the defensive before the debate even started
Steyer, a billionaire environmental activist, and two lower-polling candidates, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, picked up the attacks almost as soon as the CNN debate ended.
In a CNN roundtable following Tuesday’s debate, Xochitl Hinojosa, who served as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice under Biden, said that Becerra “was not effective in government” and that she “didn’t trust” him to stand up to President Donald Trump.
That message was echoed by Michael LaRosa, a spokesperson for former First Lady Jill Biden.
Steyer, Villaraigosa and Mahan immediately cut ads from Hinojosa’s remarks.
The three Democrats, joined at times by Hilton, have aimed to revive unflattering reports from Becerra’s time as HHS secretary, including internal criticism from Biden’s team that he was missing in action during the COVID-19 pandemic, apathetic in responding to the surge in immigration, and partially responsible for a surge in minors who were trafficked into child labor.
The latter criticism came through loudest in Wednesday night’s debate.
Villaraigosa had some of the sharpest attacks over that issue, claiming Becerra “pushed out 85,000 migrant children,” citing New York Times reporting on the issue.
Mahan also laid into his rival, noting that even some Democrats in Congress wrote to Becerra expressing concern after the story was published.
“There is a direct line between his [Becerra’s] failed leadership and Donald Trump being in the White House,” Mahan said.
Becerra accused the men of regurgitating “MAGA talking points” that he said Trump used against former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
“We protected kids,” Becerra said. “We did not let them be abused. Those were the employers.”
Rivals use the debate to drive home their political brands
Wednesday night was the last of the debates with the seven leading candidates currently on the books, though some campaigns are weighing appearing at another event next week in San Francisco.
The candidates returned to themes and rhetoric that have animated their campaigns.
Becerra noted his experience taking on President Trump as attorney general and balancing large budgets in Biden’s cabinet, delivering his message in emphatic but measured tones.
Hilton revelled in verbal jousting, castigating “one party rule” — and indirectly, the voters who keep electing Democrats — for failing to make progress addressing California’s problems.
Bianco, sheriff of Riverside County, looked visibly disgusted at moments, saying Democrats told voters “everything you want to hear” rather than reducing regulations and waste he argued held California back.
Steyer, a billionaire environmental activist, took aim at oil companies, utilities and corporate interests he said were driving California’s affordability crisis, citing their attack ads against him as proof that he represented a threat to the status quo.
Former Rep. Katie Porter drove home her status as a consumer protection attorney and mother, saying she was the only candidate on stage who refused corporate donations.
Mahan didn’t miss a chance to knock Becerra’s record and return to his executive experience in San Jose, where he claimed success in reducing crime, building housing and addressing homelessness by reducing red tape.
Like Mahan, Villaraigosa cast himself as a pragmatist willing to take on Democratic orthodoxies, saying his party needed to stop “looking for perfect.”
Spirited disagreement over the state’s sanctuary laws
Bianco claimed California’s sanctuary law, which limits law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, had cost lives and should be scrapped.
He claimed it forced him to release violent criminals back into communities, citing the case of a repeat DUI offender who was released to police rather than being turned over to immigration authorities and went on to kill a 14-year-old boy while driving while intoxicated.
But other candidates accused him of mischaracterizing the law, which requires cooperation in cases involving people convicted of violent crimes.
Porter said the law prevented “crazy cowboys taking the law into their own hands.”
Becerra said he’d defended California’s law against the first Trump administration and won. And he said he would investigate and potentially prosecute immigration agents who acted unlawfully.
Steyer made a similar argument, calling the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a “criminal organization” that he would prosecute up the chain of command if warranted, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller.
Lightning rounds reveal points of consensus and disagreement
At several points, the candidates answered rapid fire yes or no questions on a handful of topics.
The wealth tax: None of the candidates on stage were enthusiastic Tuesday or Wednesday about the proposed 5% tax on billionaires’ wealth, though Steyer said he would vote for it if the measure made it on this November’s ballot. The other candidates all said they opposed the measure.
Increasing oil production: With the war in Iran testing California’s oil supplies, candidates were asked whether they would support increasing oil production in Kern County. Hilton, Bianco, Becerra, Mahan and Villaraigosa said they would, while Steyer and Porter were opposed to the idea.
High speed rail: Candidates were asked whether they supported spending an additional $30 billion to finish a high speed rail connection between Bakersfield and Merced. Bianco said “no” and that he’d “arrest the people that stole our money,” and Hilton was also an emphatic no. Porter said she’d say yes but only if it was built faster and cheaper. Steyer, Becerra and Villaraigosa all said they would spend the money to finish the project. Mahan refused to directly answer the question, saying he’d only agree to spend the money if the Legislature agreed to regulatory reforms.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "‘We protected kids’: Becerra on defensive —again — in California governor debate."
