California governor candidates Becerra and Hilton debate in CNN showdown

Summarised from 3 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 2 Oct, 14:50 · Archive

Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton clashed in a televised debate for California's governorship on Wednesday.

Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton faced off in a televised CNN debate on Wednesday evening in Burbank, California, to contest the state's governorship. The candidates sparred over multiple issues including taxes, immigration and artificial intelligence regulation.

Hilton, a former Downing Street political advisor and Fox News host, is running as the Republican challenger and has received an endorsement from Donald Trump. Despite opinion polling showing him trailing Becerra by 20 percentage points or more, Hilton has continued campaigning with a populist message. Becerra, a former congressman, previously served as US health secretary.

The debate was described as testy and fiery by multiple outlets. The New York Post reported that Hilton invoked a Washington insult during the exchange, referencing a comment allegedly made by a Biden administration official. The debate occurred days before voters in the heavily Democratic state began receiving their ballots for the November election.

How it is being reported

• California governor nominees Becerra and Hilton face off in fiery debateCalifornia gubernatorial nominees Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton faced off in a heated CNN debate on Wednesday with just over a month to go before the midterm elections. CBS News' Zak Hudak has more.CBS News · 2 Oct, 01:24
• Becerra, Hilton debate affordability, immigration in race for California governor's seatDemocrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton debated immigration, affordability and more in their televised debate for the California gubernatorial contest. CBS News' Fin Gómez has more.CBS News · 1 Oct, 17:17
• Becerra, Hilton face off in California gubernatorial debateCandidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton faced off in their first one-on-one debate ahead of the November election for California governor.CBS News · 1 Oct, 06:06
• Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra clash in testy California governor’s race debateThe candidates running to replace Gavin Newsom sparred over taxes, immigration and regulating AI Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton , the candidates running to be California ’s next governor, clashed on Wednesday over taxes, immigration and regulating artificial intelligence in a testy debate held days before voters begin receiving their ballots in the heavily Democratic state. Hilton, the former Fox News host endorsed by Donald Trump, used the hourlong matchup, hosted by CNN in its studio in Burbank, California, to argue that Becerra, a former congressman who served as the US health and human…Guardian Technology · 1 Oct, 05:02
• Xavier Becerra gets battered by Steve Hilton in debate — then resorts to desperate tacticXavier Becerra may be ahead in the polls, but lost badly to Steve Hilton in Wednesday night's gubernatorial debate on CNN.New York Post · 1 Oct, 03:08
• California governor race heats up as Becerra and Hilton clash on CNNSteve Hilton came ready to rumble Wednesday night, invoking a notorious Washington insult by reminding voters that Xavier Becerra had been called a “Bitch-ass” by a former Biden administration official — setting a fiery tone as Becerra found himself defending his record from the opening exchanges of California’s lone scheduled gubernatorial debate The Republican challenger...New York Post · 1 Oct, 02:42
• Xavier Becerra brutally dubbed ‘b-ass’ by Steve Hilton as gubernatorial campaign kicks off with fiery CNN debateXavier Becerra gets branded “B— ass Becerra” as Steve Hilton turns a reported White House insult into an attack website ahead of tonight’s CNN debate.New York Post · 1 Oct, 02:16
• What Steve Hilton needs to do to win the debateSteve Hilton is far behind Democrat Xavier Becerra in the polls for governor. But he can use Wednesday’s nights CNN debate to make a big impact. The most important line of attack is on gas prices. Becerra and Governor Gavin Newsom have tried to blame President Donald Trump for rising costs at the pump. And...New York Post · 30 Sept, 21:18
• ‘Of course I’m the underdog’: the British former spin doctor trying to turn California redSteve Hilton’s long-shot campaign for governor is courting Golden state voters with unapologetically populist message Steve Hilton stands almost no chance of becoming California ’s next governor, but that isn’t stopping him from campaigning as though he was just one step away from pulling off the impossible. The former Downing Street political advisor and Fox News host refuses to be daunted by the rancid political environment for Republican candidates this year, or by opinion polls that tell him he is lagging 20 percentage points or more behind his Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra. Continue…Guardian World · 30 Sept, 15:00

In this story: Steve Hilton · Xavier Becerra · California · Donald Trump · CNN

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