California Gubernatorial Debate Heats Up Ahead of November Election

As the November election approaches, California gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra exchanged strong criticisms on stage during a recent debate.

The debate, which took place on Wednesday night and was moderated by CNN, covered a range of important topics, such as affordability, artificial intelligence, immigration, environmental issues, homelessness, healthcare, and Hollywood’s influence.

Affordability emerged as a focal point, given California’s high cost of living. Hilton, a Republican and former Fox News host, highlighted his proposal for tax cuts, specifically suggesting no state income tax on the first $150,000 of income. Becerra, a Democrat and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden, countered by claiming Hilton’s approach would primarily benefit the wealthiest Californians, potentially leading to cuts in crucial services like education, healthcare, and housing funding.

Hilton, originally from London and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump, argued that reducing taxes could attract businesses back to California, which in his view, would create more job opportunities for workers.

Throughout the debate, Becerra linked Hilton’s policies to Trump’s administration, which prompted Hilton to fire back: “All you’ve got is to talk about federal politics. All you say is ‘Trump, Trump, Trump.’

Becerra responded sharply, stating, “Your words: ‘Trump, Trump, Trump,’ because he is your supporter, you chased his endorsement.”

Becerra further emphasized that Hilton’s proposals mirrored Trump’s policies and warned that they would yield similar negative outcomes. He criticized Hilton’s tax agenda, saying, “Proposing Trump tax policies, promising Trump tax cuts, believing you’re going to get better results than Trump has gotten so far to date, that is what — isn’t it the definition of insanity? You’re going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton’s plans.”

In defense, Hilton pointed to the long history of Democratic leadership in California, mentioning that “voting Democrat” appears to be part of the issue Becerra described.

With ballots going out to California voters soon, candidates have limited time to persuade constituents of their platforms before the upcoming election.