California governor debate: Candidates scrap over gas tax, homelessness

Key Points:

• The California governor candidates debated key issues including high gas prices, housing costs, and homeowner’s insurance, with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Fox News host Steve Hilton clashing over policy and authority.
• Hilton, leading in recent polls, criticized Becerra’s plan to declare a state of emergency on insurance rates, while Becerra defended his legal knowledge and took shots at Hilton’s Trump endorsement.
• Candidates proposed various affordability measures such as capping gas prices, suspending gas taxes, accelerating home construction, and reducing prescription drug costs, though details on implementation were scarce.
• The debate also addressed climate-related emergencies, with Republicans blaming Democratic policies for wildfire risks, while Democrats highlighted pandemic response efforts and clashed over fossil fuel industry ties.
• With the June 2 primary near, Republicans Hilton and Chad Bianco lead polls amid a divided Democratic field, raising concerns about potential Republican dominance in the general election despite California’s Democratic majority.