Latest California Gubernatorial Elections from Paris Barraza
TODAY California reporter Paris Barraza brings you the latest information on the California gubernatorial race, covering the candidates, polling trends and key developments in the election.
The crowded and high-profile primary race for California’s governor’s seat has become heated, with candidates using the forum to air accusations and allegations.
One more debate remains, but the rhetoric shows no signs of slowing down.
Democrat Xavier Becerra’s record as former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services has been called into question.
“The experience we heard from Secretary Becerra did not lead to a better outcome,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said., “That’s why 85,000 migrant children are missing,” the Democratic lawmaker said during a May 5 CNN debate.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, was once accused of belonging to an anti-government organization.
“You know you are an oath-keeper,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at the same debate. “We all know that.”
Here we add additional context to some of the statements heard in recent debates.
Xavier Becerra and unaccompanied immigrant children
Mr. Becerra had been under scrutiny from multiple candidates regarding minors entering the United States without a parent or guardian and without legal immigration status.
What does that have to do with Becerra? The Department of Health and Human Services said it “must have custody and care” of such minors. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division of HHS, said the children would be cared for until a sponsor, “usually a family member,” could be found.
More specifically, the remarks against Mr. Becerra related to a 2023 New York Times investigation in which the newspaper reported that large numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who came to the United States were working in violation of child labor laws. Mr. Becerra served as HHS Secretary from March 2021 through the remainder of the Biden administration.
The New York Times reported that HHS “checks in by phone” after minors begin living with a sponsor, but has been unable to reach “more than 85,000 children over the past two years.”
According to a 2023 report in the New York Times, “In all, government agencies lost immediate contact with one-third of migrant children.”
The New York Times quoted an agency spokesperson as saying that authorities “did not violate any safety concerns” and that HHS “wanted to release the children quickly in the interest of their well-being.”
“What is referenced in the New York Times article is a voluntary appeal that we are making,” Becerra told lawmakers in 2023, adding that he has tried to contact each child three times and is also trying to contact their sponsors.
“There is no need for the sponsor or the child to answer the phone, and there can be any number of reasons why the child or the sponsor may not be answering the phone, but that does not mean the child is lost, and any kind of numbers associated with those calls to indicate that the child is lost is completely false,” Becerra said.
He also said that HHS’s “responsibility to protect unaccompanied children legally ends once they are placed in the care of a vetted sponsor.”
The topic was brought up by Villaraigosa in a May 6 panel on NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
“We protected our children,” Becerra said. “We didn’t let them abuse us. They were our employers.”
Xavier Becerra and his former chief of staff
In a CNN debate, Republican businessman Steve Hilton and Democrat Villaraigosa brought up an incident involving Becerra’s former chief of staff that came to light last year.
Authorities allege that Becerra’s former chief of staff, Sean McCluskey, conspired with lobbyist Greg Campbell, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson and others to steal approximately $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign account for McCluskey’s personal use.
McCluskey pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. In December, the Eastern District of California announced that Campbell had pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States and to commit criminal acts against the United States.”
According to the Eastern District of California, Williamson was charged with “bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruct justice, filing a false tax return, and making false statements.” KCRA and ABC10 reported that Williamson may be facing a plea deal, citing court records.
Becerra has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
During his plea, Becerra instructed Hilton to “read the indictment.”
“If I had been involved, the U.S. attorney would have indicted me,” Becerra said. “I wasn’t involved.”
Chad Bianco and the Oath Keepers
Statements directed at Bianco also included references to his past association with the Oath Keepers. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Oath Keepers are a far-right anti-government group. Some of its members were involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Bianco paid for a one-year membership with the Oath Keepers in 2014, the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported in 2021. However, he said at the time that he was not currently a member and had not extended his membership beyond the first year.
“Like many other law enforcement officers and veterans who were members, I did not continue my membership because I realized that this organization had nothing to offer me,” Bianco said in 2021.
During a May 5 CNN debate, Villaraigosa brought up Bianco’s past ties to the group, and a back and forth between the two ensued on the topic. Bianco answered “no” when asked if he still considered himself a member of that group.
Katie Porter and her temperament
Former Congresswoman Katie Porter said during a May 5 CNN debate: “I can’t believe that someone would want to talk about my temperament on stage after 30 minutes of interruptions, bickering, name-calling, yelling, and disrespect for everyone in public office.”
Last year, Porter went viral for a 2021 video obtained by Politico. The video showed the former congressman trying to get out of the CBS News interview by yelling at staffers to “get out of my fucking shot.”
Mr. Porter, a Democrat, has previously faced intense scrutiny over reports about his treatment of staff.
“Californians can make up their own minds about my disposition based on what they see and hear tonight,” Porter said during the debate. “If the boys’ bullying and bickering is not enough to raise questions about their temperament, then I would object to that.”
Tom Steyer and how he made his money
How Tom Steyer, the billionaire founder of the hedge fund Farallon Capital Management, amassed his wealth has been criticized by several candidates in recent debates. Specifically, Becerra said in a CNN debate that Steyer had amassed wealth through “investing in fossil fuels” and “funding private for-profit prisons.” The former was the subject of a recent report in the New York Times, while the latter was reported by the Los Angeles Times and the Fresno Bee.
Steyer, a Democrat, resigned from Farallon in 2012. The Los Angeles Times reported that in at least one instance, Mr. Steyer’s team made a clear distinction between the gubernatorial candidate and Farallon Capital, stating that it was a hedge fund, not an individual, that invested in the company formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America.
In a CNN debate, Steyer pointed to support from environmental groups and described himself as someone who would fight oil companies.
“You know, they’re spending millions of dollars trying to prevent me from getting elected,” Steyer said.
View the latest California gubernatorial race polls
A poll conducted by California Back to Basics, an independent spending committee that supports Mahan, showed Becerra and Hilton tied at 20 percent ahead of the primary. The poll, conducted from May 3rd to May 6th, also yielded the following results:
- Bianco: 14%
- Stayer: 12%
- Mahan: 10%
- Undecided: 8%
Polls show that Porter, Villaraigosa and California Superintendent Tony Thurmond (Democratic) have single-digit approval ratings.
According to a SurveyUSA poll released on Monday, May 4, 20% of voters would vote for Hilton if the primary were held today. This was followed by Steyer with 18%. Bianco and Becerra were the only other candidates with double-digit support.
Meanwhile, another poll shared by the California Democratic Party on May 4 found that 18% of likely voters said they would vote for Hilton if the primary were held today. But 18% of likely voters also believe they support Becerra. The former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services defeated Steyer, who has frequently led among Democratic candidates in opinion polls.
When is California’s primary election?
The primary election will be held on June 2nd, and the top two gubernatorial vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the general election on November 3rd.
How to tell if you’re registered to vote
Not sure if you’re already registered to vote? You can find out by submitting your name, date of birth, and a few other pieces of information on the California Secretary of State’s website.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. please contact her pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
