California governor debate gives first look at crowded crop in race to replace Gavin Newsom

California’s crowded governor’s race will take center stage Tuesday evening as some of the biggest contenders looking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom duke it out in San Francisco.

For many voters, the event — hosted at the Bayview Opera House by the Black Action Alliance and televised by Fox stations in San Francisco and Los Angeles — will serve as an intro to the candidates, most notably San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who disrupted the Democratic field last week with his late entry into the race.

Seven candidates have been confirmed for the debate, bringing together veteran Democrats like former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state controller Betty Yee and former US secretary of health and human services Xavier Becerra; Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of schools; progressive billionaire Tom Steyer; and Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host.

Notable absences include Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Candidates in attendance are expected to field questions about the massive size of California government and alleged wasteful spending while being pushed for solutions to solving the cost of living, housing and homelessness crises.

“How is it that Californians pay the highest taxes in the country but get the worst results?” Hilton recently wrote in an op-ed in the California Post. “Sixteen years of Democrat one-party rule have seen an explosion of bloated, bureaucratic government from Sacramento. Now it’s dawning on more and more Californians that there’s a direct connection.”

Democratic candidates will have to navigate how hard to go at Newsom without ruffling the feathers of party insiders who will likely play a key role in backing a favorite ahead of the June primary. Newsom, who is leaving office as he comes to the end of his term limit this year, is viewed as a likely Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.

Mahan, a moderate Democrat who, like Hilton, is a frequent critic of Newsom’s approach to governing, also has taken aim at what he sees as waste, fraud and abuse.

Last month, Newsom unveiled a $350 billion budget that is about a $30 billion increase on last year’s budget. Meanwhile, the state has a projected deficit between $3 billion and $18 billion, and many state services continue to be seen as sub-par by Californians.

“I don’t get politicians who defend the status quo and pretend that government couldn’t possibly be more efficient, more effective, more technology-enabled,” Mahan recently told the Wall Street Journal. 

The debate begins at 5:30 p.m.

Check back for updates as The Post will be publishing stories throughout the debate.