USA08 September, 20262 min read
CNN Hosts California Governor Debate September 30 Between Xavier Becerra And Steve Hilton
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
CNN will host a one-hour California governor debate on September 30 between Becerra and Hilton. Debate will take place at CNN's Burbank studios with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating.
Debate Set for Sept. 30
CNN will host a one-hour California governor debate on September 30, just weeks before Election Day, with Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton facing off to choose a successor to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The one-hour debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will be held on September 30 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).”
The debate will be held at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) and take place in the Los Angeles area, moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
CNN said the candidates had to meet requirements outlined by the California secretary of state, raise, contribute or loan at least $1 million for their gubernatorial campaign, and receive at least 15% support among registered or likely voters in two polls conducted by polling organizations whose methodology meets CNN’s standards for reporting.
Becerra previously served as health and human services secretary during the Biden administration, and Hilton is a former Fox News host, with both having advanced from a crowded field in the June primary election.
Becerra vs. Hilton on Issues
The race is framed around sharply contrasting views on taxes, spending and California’s clashes with the Trump administration, as the state prepares to choose a successor to Newsom.
Becerra promised multiple debates with Hilton ahead of the general election, telling reporters after greeting business owners, community leaders and voters in a walking tour of Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles, “We will have debates, and between now and Nov. 3, we will continue to go out there and meet with folks to make sure they have an opportunity to see the candidates.”
Hilton responded the following day by saying, “I don’t believe him unless he commits to an actual debate. Invitations are on the table for dates and places,” adding, “I think he’s lying. I don’t think he wants to do debates because he doesn’t want to debate his record.”
Both candidates are also positioned against the backdrop of California’s political history, with CNN noting California hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 20 years and it was 2006 when voters gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a second term.
Health Coverage Stakes
Beyond the debate itself, KFF Health News says California’s next governor will face a “destabilizing surge in uninsured,” warning that by 2030 the number of uninsured Californians under 65 is expected to nearly double from 2.4 million to 4.6 million. KFF Health News attributes the projected rise to “recently enacted state and federal cuts to Medicaid and ACA marketplaces,” and it reports that in February Miranda Dietz, the labor center’s healthcare program director, told legislators the changes could end up costing California about 200,000 jobs, mostly in the healthcare industry.
Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, described the situation as “It’s triage,” saying that’s what the next governor is “walking into.” The same report says Becerra has pledged to issue an executive order to keep those affected by federal cuts insured, while also noting he has not detailed how the state would backfill as much as $30 billion in federal funding California stands to lose annually.