5 Takeaways From the Debate for California Governor
New York Times · LC · trust 59/100
Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, and Steve Hilton, a Republican, sparred over President Trump, taxes and immigration in their only scheduled meeting.
Listen · 8:06 min Share full article 112 Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton during the California governor debate in Burbank, Calif., on Wednesday. Credit... CNN By Laurel Rosenhall and Soumya Karlamangla
Xavier Becerra, the Democratic front-runner, often tried to cast his Republican opponent, Steve Hilton, as a stand-in for Mr. Trump during the hourlong event on CNN. Mr. Hilton, a former Fox talk show host, told voters that Mr. Becerra represented more of the same that they were getting from Mr. Newsom and Democratic lawmakers.
Unlike the chaotic open primary debates this spring, which featured stages crowded with candidates for governor who could barely get a word in edgewise, the face-off on Wednesday in CNN’s studio in Burbank, Calif., was a head-to-head clash that offered a clear contrast in philosophies.
It was the only scheduled fall debate between Mr. Becerra and Mr. Hilton, and the moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper rattled through about a dozen topics, from education to health care. In California, a heavily Democratic state, Mr. Becerra has enjoyed a sizable lead in every major poll this cycle, and it was up to Mr. Hilton to convince voters to move in his direction on Wednesday.
Here are five takeaways from the debate.
No matter the topic, Mr. Becerra had an attack line at the ready that boiled down to linking Mr. Hilton with President Trump. It was a logical strategy, given that the president had endorsed Mr. Hilton and is deeply unpopular in California.
In the first 20 minutes of the debate, Mr. Becerra answered questions about taxes, artificial intelligence and immigration enforcement by saying Mr. Hilton’s positions were aligned with Mr. Trump.
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