Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, the two candidates for governor of California, sparred over taxes, housing shortages and immigration policy in a debate Wednesday that was expected to be their only face-to-face encounter before the election on Nov. 3.

Becerra, a former congressman who served as health and human services secretary during the Biden administration, has led in every poll since finishing ahead of Hilton, a former Fox News television host who has the backing of President Donald Trump, in California’s open primary in June. The candidates are vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term limited.

Hilton, 57, stood to gain more than Becerra from the platform that Wednesday’s debate offered. And from the opening moments, he sought to portray Becerra as a career politician incapable of change, and blamed Democrats for a litany of issues affecting California. “We’ve just got to try something different,” he said.

Becerra, 68, sought repeatedly to tie Hilton to his support of Trump and his policies, including an immigration crackdown that has seen Hispanic voters — a critical voting bloc in any California election — abandon the president.

Hilton has lagged in polls and fundraising despite having the endorsement of Trump, and a debate that lacked memorable exchanges or notable gaffes seemed unlikely to upend the race in California, which has not elected a Republican to statewide office in two decades.

To win, Hilton must appeal to voters who dislike Trump while still keeping MAGA voters in his camp.

Here’s What Else to Know:

— Affordable housing: Housing costs are a perennial concern in California. And while the candidates’ plans for tackling the issue contain similar themes, their approaches are quite different.

— Immigration: In an exchange about immigration policy, Becerra appeared to get under the skin of the British-born Hilton by criticizing his stances on immigration and his support for Trump’s immigration crackdown. “You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me,” Becerra said. Hilton called the comment a low “political” blow.

— Second chance? Univision, the Spanish-language network, told The New York Times that Becerra and Hilton had agreed to participate in a town hall-style forum Oct. 20. But unlike this debate, they will appear separately during that event.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Laurel Rosenhall/Gabriela Bhaskar
c. 2026 The New York Times Company