California’s Crowded Governor Race Hits Debate Night
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 · 6 min
As ballots arrive, California’s governor race is still unsettled: seven candidates head to a CNN debate, polls show no clear favorite, and endorsements, education fights and top-two math are sharpening the stakes.
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Show notes
As ballots arrive, California’s governor race is still unsettled: seven candidates head to a CNN debate, polls show no clear favorite, and endorsements, education fights and top-two math are sharpening the stakes.
In this episode
- Will Tuesday's California gubernatorial debate be 'calm' or 'a mess?' - AOL — AOL
Will Tuesday's California gubernatorial debate be 'calm' or 'a mess?' - AOL Mon, May 4, 2026 at 5:18 PM UTC 0 Seven gubernatorial candidates have qualified to take the debate floor in the Los Angeles area Tuesday, May 5, just as mail-in ballots start to hit California voters’ mailboxes. The candidates who qualified to participate in CNN’s gubernatorial debate are Republicans Chad Bianco and…
- It's here! Candidates talk to us in our 2026 voter guide - CalMatters — Lynn La
It’s here! Candidates talk to us in our 2026 voter guide Join us at the CalMatters Ideas Festival on May 21. 💡 Get your tickets now. California gubernatorial candidates sit on the stage during The Western Growers California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Fresno State in Fresno on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters CalMatters’ voter guide for the June 2 primary is out and it…
- California gubernatorial candidates divided over education funding and social issues | Education | calonews.com — Diana Lambert, EdSource
California gubernatorial candidates divided over education funding and social issues | Education | calonews.com You have permission to edit this article. Share This Candidates in California's gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter look on during a gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar on April 22, 2026, in San…
- Kamala Harris endorses slate of California candidates — but not for governor — San Francisco Chronicle
# Kamala Harris skips governor endorsement, like other top Democrats Published: 2026-05-04T14:02:00+00:00 Author: Alexei Koseff ## Summary Former Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed a slate of California Democratic candidates, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Controller Malia Cohen, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. However, she did not endorse the…
- SACRAMENTO BEE & MCCLATCHY CALIFORNIA ENDORSES KATIE PORTER FOR GOVERNOR | Katie Porter for Governor — abbyhasselbrink
SACRAMENTO BEE & MCCLATCHY CALIFORNIA ENDORSES KATIE PORTER FOR GOVERNOR | Katie Porter for Governor Editorial Board Representing Five Major Newspapers Across California Agree Katie is the Strongest Candidate to Lead California “She has the singular ability to uplift Californians struggling with how expensive and exclusive this state has become… She clearly grasps the issues that everyday…
““The field is too crowded with Democrats and we can’t risk letting a Republican win, which is why we’re endorsing the one candidate who if she started picking up momentum may force two Republicans through into the general.”” — r/California (19 upvotes)
Our take: That’s the cold top-two math: an endorsement meant to elevate the “best” Democrat can also make the Democratic pileup worse if it pulls just enough votes from other Democrats. The moral victory plaque looks less charming if it comes with two Republicans in November.
“Staff abuse is a no-go. And we're not talking "was mean and there's a double standard because she's a woman." She literally didn't treat her staff like human beings. There's a reason she had obscenely high staff turnover in Congress. Does not bode well for running the state…” — r/California (13 upvotes)
Our take: We don’t think management style is a side issue for a governor; running California is basically managing a giant bureaucracy during permanent crisis. Porter’s defenders can argue substance, but voters are entitled to ask whether the whiteboard comes with collateral damage.
““Chatham Asset Management is a New Jersey-based hedge fund known for its close ties to the Republican Party and conservative media investments” Chatham is a hedge fund which owns McClatchy which owns all the Bees.” — r/California (33 upvotes)
Our take: Ownership is fair context, especially in a state where newspaper endorsements still get waved around like holy writ. But it doesn’t automatically mean the local editorial board was taking dictation from a hedge fund; the endorsement still has to be judged on its argument.