CNN to host California gubernatorial debate ahead of November election

CNN will host a California gubernatorial debate later this month, just weeks before Election Day as voters in the nation’s most populous state decide who will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The one-hour debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra , who served as health and human services secretary during the Biden administration, and Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, be held on September 30 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the event, which will take place in the Los Angeles area.

To qualify for the debate, candidates had to meet the requirements outlined by the California secretary of state; raised, contributed or loaned at least $1 million for their gubernatorial campaign; and received at least 15% support among registered or likely voters in two polls conducted by polling organizations whose methodology meets CNN’s standards for reporting.

Hilton and Becerra emerged among a crowded field of contenders in the primary election in June.

The race is likely to be a challenge for Hilton, as he seeks to become a governor aligned with President Donald Trump in a state that voted against Trump by more than 20 percentage points in 2024. California hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 20 years. It was 2006 when voters gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a second term.

In an effort to sway voters, Hilton has seized on affordability issues and blamed Democratic leadership for high costs in the state. He’s also vowed to reduce bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, Becerra, who also previously served as California attorney general and a US congressman for the LA area, has emphasized his years of experience in governmental roles and argued that only someone who has managed crises could fix California’s problems.

Early voting and ballot drop-off locations for the general election on November 3 will be coming October 5, according to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

CNN’s Kaanita Iyer and David Wright contributed to this report.

CNN将于本月晚些时候举办加州州长辩论，距离选举日仅几周时间，届时美国人口最多的州的选民将决定谁将接替民主党州长加文·纽森。

民主党候选人泽维尔·贝塞拉（曾任拜登政府卫生与公众服务部长）和共和党候选人史蒂夫·希尔顿（前福克斯新闻主持人）将于美国东部时间 9 月 30 日晚上 9 点（太平洋时间下午 6 点）进行一小时的辩论。

CNN主播杰克·塔珀和达娜·巴什将主持此次活动，活动将在洛杉矶地区举行。

要获得辩论资格，候选人必须满足加州州务卿规定的要求；为州长竞选筹集、捐款或贷款至少 100 万美元；并在由民调机构进行的两次民意调查中获得至少 15% 的已登记选民或可能选民的支持，而这些民调机构的方法必须符合 CNN 的报道标准。

希尔顿和贝塞拉在六月份的初选中从众多竞争者中脱颖而出。

对希尔顿而言，这场竞选很可能充满挑战，因为他试图在加州成为一位与唐纳德·特朗普总统立场一致的州长，而加州在2024年的总统选举中以超过20个百分点的差距投票反对特朗普。加州已经20年没有选出过共和党州长了。上一次还是在2006年，选民让阿诺德·施瓦辛格连任。

为了争取选民支持，希尔顿大谈住房负担能力问题，并将该州的高物价归咎于民主党领导层。他还承诺精简官僚机构。

与此同时，曾担任加州总检察长和洛杉矶地区美国国会议员的贝塞拉强调了他多年在政府部门的工作经验，并认为只有处理过危机的人才能解决加州的问题。

加州州务卿雪莉·韦伯表示，11月3日大选的提前投票和选票投递地点将于10月5日公布。

美国有线电视新闻网 (CNN) 的卡尼塔·艾耶 (Kaanita Iyer) 和大卫·赖特 (David Wright) 对本报告做出了贡献。