California Governor's Debate: Post-Debate Analysis & Spin Room Coverage

[0:11] You're watching Crom4's post-debate programming here, and we are live in where the debate just [0:19] happened. We saw the candidates just standing at the podiums here. They've gone to have [0:23] conversations with their staff. They're going to be checking in with our Capitol correspondent, [0:27] Eitan Wallace, in just a moment. But first, I'm going to bring it over to Nikki Lorenzo and Frank [0:31] Buckley, who just moderated the debate. Would love to know how you felt it went. You know, [0:37] the candidates coming into the debate tonight, this is the first time they were all going to [0:40] be seen on stage, especially since the big news that broke about Eric Swalwell. We've seen a couple [0:46] of candidates surge. Two candidates ended up qualifying for the debate after that, and the [0:50] goal was to just present them with questions so Californians can figure out where they stand on [0:55] the important issues. Issues as we could get in during the time allotted, which is frankly difficult [1:02] when you have six people on the stage, but we tried our best. I was going to surprise those two [1:07] Republicans weren't a bit more combative. Yeah, they were confrontational, I should say. [1:12] Because they're rivals. They're rivals, and one has the endorsement of President Trump, [1:16] the other doesn't, and they're both vying for that spot to move on after June. [1:21] Yeah. What do you hope the viewers really took away from... Oh, sorry. It looks like our Capitol [1:28] correspondent, Eitan Wallace, has Steve Hilton live and available to speak with us right now, [1:33] so we'll take it over to Eitan. Make sure that we get a big Republican vote, which is the first step [1:38] in winning the majority that we need to offer Californians change, especially my plan to make [1:46] our state Cal-affordable. Three dollar gas, cut your electric bill in half, your first hundred grand [1:52] tax-free, a home you can afford to buy. On each of those issues, it will be to the great benefit of [1:58] Californians that we have a governor who can work with the federal administration to open up energy [2:04] production, to manage our forests better, to cut the fraud and waste in our government so we can cut [2:10] taxes. It's going to be very helpful to Californians on a daily basis to have that constructive [2:16] partnership. And one more question. I know you talk about change, and of course we've seen supermajority [2:20] rule in California here for decades now. Is there a concern on your part, though, that even should you [2:25] be elected that to achieve what you want to achieve will mathematically not be possible with the [2:31] legislature being how it's made up, with Democrats possibly rejecting your proposal? [2:36] Well, I'm sure the Democrats will want to work with me to enact the policy agenda to make our state [2:42] Cal-affordable that Californians just voted for when they elect me as their governor. After all their [2:48] lectures, after all these years about how they care about our democracy, I'm sure they wouldn't want [2:53] to overturn the result of a governor's election. But of course it's also true that many of the things [2:59] that we can do to cut gas prices to three dollars, to reduce taxes, to open up energy production and [3:07] house building, all these things that we can do actually through the executive branch. I really [3:12] understand for three years now I've been traveling the state, learning about what needs to change, making [3:18] serious, specific, common-sense plans, and many of them can be implemented through the executive branch, [3:25] through the agencies that the governor controls, and through executive orders. And that's what I'll do. [3:30] Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for governor. Thanks for taking the time. [3:33] Great to see you. Thank you very much. [3:33] Thank you. Appreciate you. [3:34] All right, so we are continuing our coverage of everything that's going on post-governatorial debate [3:49] here at Cron 4 in San Francisco. I have here with me, oh excuse me, my producer is communicating with [3:57] me at the same time here. I know we have our incredible Democratic strategist here who we want [4:01] to bring in in just a moment. But we do have Mayor Matt Mahan who is available to speak with our [4:06] capital correspondent. So let's toss it over to them. It's great to be on the debate stage tonight [4:10] to be able to introduce myself to so many Californians for the first time. And I think it was very clear [4:15] in tonight's debate that the rest of these candidates are either offering a set of MAGA answers that don't [4:22] fit with our values or offering more of the same, a government that's just bigger, makes the same old [4:28] excuses. I'm offering something different, an accountable government that's focused, that is delivering [4:34] results in people's lives, more affordable housing, better schools, safer neighborhoods, an end to [4:40] unsheltered homelessness. We've made real progress in San Jose by holding our government accountable for [4:47] delivering for people, not by raising taxes, by spending our money more effectively. I'm the only candidate in that [4:54] lane who's offering better government, not bigger government or the destruction of government. [4:58] I heard Steve Hilton go after you claiming that homelessness in San Jose has not improved as you [5:07] said. What's your response? I think he fundamentally misunderstands the nature of homelessness. We've [5:13] reduced the number of people living outside by nearly one third. The last count had us down over 20%. We [5:20] sense have added over 1,000 new units. We are leading the state in reducing homelessness, widely acknowledged to [5:27] be creating one of the key models for prevention, interim housing, and long-term affordable housing, which [5:33] is why San Jose has seen bigger reductions than other cities. So I'm proud of the work we've done, and I think [5:40] my record speaks for itself. And again, the only candidate in this race that has been in an executive role, leading [5:46] a big city to deliver meaningful, measurable results in people's lives, more housing, less crime, less [5:53] homelessness, cleaner neighborhoods. Those are the kinds of outcomes we desperately need from our [5:58] government, not MAGA, and not more of the same. [6:01] And you took a tough question from the moderators there about big tech and, of course, your campaign [6:07] being funded by several in the tech industry. Of course, you do represent Silicon Valley. [6:13] Has that come up a lot? And what is your message to Californians about your message about whether big [6:19] tech is supporting the campaign? [6:21] Well, just as I said on stage, I'm not afraid to regulate big tech. In fact, I'm the only candidate [6:27] in this race who has direct experience with regulating tech, with creating frameworks that [6:33] restrict the data they can gather, that make sure that that data isn't shared with third parties. We delete [6:40] license plate data every 30 days. We have some of the strictest privacy and security protocols [6:45] in the country and, again, have been a model for hundreds of other cities and counties because of [6:51] how we've regulated technology. I would say it will be an asset for the next governor of California [6:56] to understand these tools, how they can be harnessed to make government more effective, [7:01] but also the risks that they pose and how to appropriately regulate them to keep people safe. [7:06] I'm ready to do that job. [7:08] Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose, Democrat for California Governor, we'll see you on the campaign trail. [7:12] Thanks for having me. [7:13] I was also going to point out that Mr. Becerra's had failures of leadership and experience, [7:18] like a bunch of undocumented, unaccompanied children who were put into child labor during [7:25] his administration and when pushed on it by Congress and by the media. He basically said, [7:31] it's not my job to take care of these kids when they were in very difficult situations. So [7:35] being in public service is hard. I know that. Mr. Becerra knows that. But I wanted to point out that [7:42] it's important that we take responsibility for the things that we fall short on. [7:46] Some of the criticism of you has been about your personality. Do you feel that's unfair and perhaps [7:52] a double standard? [7:53] Well, leadership matters and how you lead matters. But I absolutely wanted to show Californians tonight [7:59] that I'm tough, that I'm smart, that I'm going to fight for them, that I think about and know what it's [8:04] like to be a regular Californian. So it's on me to keep campaigning and keep demonstrating that. [8:09] It's also not lost on me that the last time the Democratic Party had a nominee for governor was 1994 [8:16] when I was in college 30 years ago. What do you think about the polling? How closely do you pay [8:23] attention to that? Does that matter? So I think I've been obviously I pay some attention to polling, [8:28] but I would just say anytime you have something huge happen in a race like the very disturbing, [8:33] upsetting allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Swalwell, there's always some mixing up. It takes [8:40] people time. We still have a lot of undecided voters in this race. The debate, the media coverage [8:45] is helpful. We're up on TV communicating directly with voters now, reminding them of how I stood toe-to-toe [8:51] against big pharma, big oil, big banks, the work that I've done in Congress, and talking about my plans [8:57] to help Californians like free child care and zero tuition at UC and CSUs to get a degree. [9:03] Is California ready for its first woman governor? [9:05] I sure as hell hope so. I'm definitely ready for the first female governor. Look, I think the allegations [9:11] against Mr. Swalwell, what we've seen with Mr. Epstein, I think this is an important [9:15] time for women to lead. I really do. California holds itself out as a progressive state, a state [9:20] that lives our values. Equality of opportunity is one of those values, but it's on every candidate, [9:26] including me, to compete and win this race. [9:29] This race is crowded by Democrats. [9:30] That's why Smart Justice actually endorsed me and none of those other people who are talking. [9:35] And you also took a tough question about taxes and about whether you would be willing to volunteer [9:41] more taxes. [9:42] Let me, Eitan, let me say, I'm the billionaire who wants all billionaires to pay more money, [9:48] including me. But the idea that somehow we can fix this problem by just one person doing it, [9:54] that's silly. I am pushing for structural change so that all billionaires pay higher taxes. [10:00] That's one of the things. We have the richest state in the world. We have the highest poverty rate. [10:05] We can solve our problems, but we're going to have to make big corporations and billionaires pay [10:11] their fair share. The idea that somehow, you know, one person should change it. My wife and I have [10:16] said we're giving the bulk of our money away while we're alive. We're doing that partially by pushing [10:20] for structural change so that, in fact, all billionaires pay more. [10:24] Final question for you about President Trump. You mentioned that he had mentioned you last week in a [10:29] social media post. Let me ask you, though, is there a concern on your part that some of the more [10:33] perhaps independents or moderates who see you are concerned that your campaign is too much against [10:39] Donald Trump and too little about the issues? Listen, in 2017 and 2018, I collected 8 million [10:46] signatures to impeach Donald Trump because I've been in enough boardrooms to know a crook when I see one. [10:52] And I knew he was a crook who broke the law every day. I knew he was going to break the laws of the [10:56] United States and try and do what he's doing, which is to destroy democracy. And so if there are people [11:01] out there who want what Donald Trump stands for, which is ending democracy, which is start taking [11:07] our tax dollars to start wars halfway around the world for no purpose that I can see other than to [11:12] raise our gas prices, who is then calling for an additional $1.5 trillion of tax money. And he said [11:19] the federal government can't pay for Medicare, Medi-Cal or child care anymore because now we're [11:25] fighting wars. If there are people who think that's smart, if they think that ICE coming here and racially [11:29] profiling and attacking people violently in the street is smart, if they think any of that is [11:35] smart, then good for them. I'm someone who believes that ICE is a criminal organization. The head of ICE [11:41] also posted negatively on me. I am proud to say, as governor, I will protect the people of California [11:48] from Donald Trump. I will not work with Donald Trump unless he comes to us. The only thing he can [11:53] respect is strength. And that's what we're going to show him. Tom Steyer, Democrat candidate for [11:57] governor. Thanks for taking the time. We'll see you on the campaign trail. [12:00] I have never taken corporate contributions, not in any race I've ever been in and not in this race. And I'm the [12:18] only candidate who can say that. Even billionaire Tom Steyer decided to cash a check from a bank. I don't [12:24] take corporate contributions because I don't want there to be any confusion from Californians about [12:28] who I'm going to fight for. Businesses are important. They create jobs. They add to our [12:33] tax base. We want businesses to thrive and succeed here. And I appreciate the chance when I get to meet [12:39] with business people or tour their factories, hear about their plans for expansion. But our democracy [12:44] is not and should not be for sale. I don't think it hampers me at all. I was one of the best fundraisers [12:50] in the House of Representatives. And I did it with grassroots fundraising. If you say you're going [12:55] to be the governor for Californians, not for corporations, that can't be hollow talk. You [13:00] have to show it with how you run and fund your campaign. Sets me apart from every other candidate [13:05] in this race. This is a lawful investigation into a major, major ballot discrepancy. And it's being [13:14] prevented from happening by the Attorney General. Would you like to see that investigation move forward? [13:18] I would. And from my very first press conference, I want it to move forward so we can either say [13:24] there is no fraud. The ballots are exactly the number of votes cast. It matches perfectly. There [13:30] is no fraud. Or we'll say, hey, something's amiss. And now we have to find out why. [13:36] I got to ask you about something that you were asked about, whether you would support your party [13:41] nominee in this race. You said, well, you would not support your opponent. I want to give you the [13:46] benefit of the doubt here because that's not the whole context. You said the whole context that, [13:50] well, you believe both will make it, that you and Mr. Hilton will make it. You're absolutely [13:55] confident about that. And let's say that doesn't happen, then what? [13:57] I can't say I'm 100% confident. But if it is Steve and not me, of course, I will support him because [14:03] California is going to be destroyed if a Republican does not win this election. So whether it's me or [14:11] Steve, it has to happen. You saw on that stage tonight, we are on the edge and we are either [14:18] going to stay on the edge or we are going to fall off if any of those other people are elected into [14:24] this next position because it is going to be nothing but the same status quo politics and [14:29] California is going to get worse. And Californians are the ones suffering from the bubble that they [14:36] live in. The bias confirmation that every single one of them surround themselves with and Californians [14:42] are suffering from it. And one final question for you. I know you're at the Capitol a lot. I'm there [14:46] every day. Of course, you know the math here, though. It's a two-thirds supermajority Democratic [14:51] legislature. And I ask this question to Mr. Hilton as well. Even if you are elected as a Republican [14:56] governor, are you confident that you can achieve what you say you're going to achieve? And is there any [15:00] concern that the math and the legislature Democrats might block your proposals? No, I don't because [15:06] California is going to elect me to go there and straighten out California. So if those people want [15:12] to be elected again, they better figure out how they're going to work with me to make California [15:15] better because that's our only goal. Not your special interests, not the benefits you're getting [15:20] from the third parties, from the lobbyists and everything else. You better start working for [15:24] California. Then we'll get along great and we will make sure that we're making California better. [15:28] Riverside County Sheriff Republican Chad Bianco, thanks for taking the time. We'll see you on [15:32] the campaign trail. Thank you. Appreciate you. [15:34] I ran restaurants. It's just so difficult. And everyone can see now, after 16 years of Democrats [15:42] running everything in our state, it's just time for a bit of balance. It's not healthy to have one [15:47] party rule for so long. And the plans that I'm laying out, they're not partisan. They're just common [15:53] sense. Three dollar gas, cut your electric bill in half, your first hundred grand tax-free, [15:58] a home you can afford to buy. I call it my plan to make our state cal-affordable. I just think [16:03] that's something that's going to bring Californians together because we all want to see that change. [16:08] Would you work with the legislature and the democratic majority there? [16:13] Absolutely. Look, first of all, I would say when I'm elected governor and take office next January, [16:18] that really will be a revolution in California. The first time we've had a Republican governor in 20 [16:24] years, and I would expect the legislature to work with me to honor the verdict of the electorate, [16:29] and to implement the common sense practical plans that the Californians desperately want to make [16:35] things more affordable, to make it easier to run a business. And so I really would expect their [16:40] cooperation. I've had experience of working across party lines. Back in the day before I moved here [16:45] with my wife and my two sons in 2012. I served for a time as senior advisor to the prime minister in the UK [16:51] government. It was a coalition government. I shared an office with my opposite number from another [16:56] party. We worked together every day to try and make positive change happen, and that would be the [17:01] spirit that I would take to the legislature. We don't have a parliamentary system here. [17:07] That's right, but you'll have a Republican governor and most likely a Democrat-controlled [17:13] legislature. So we're going to have to work together. And I'm just saying that I have [17:17] experience of doing that before, and I look forward to doing it now, because in the end, [17:22] we all want the same things for California. And my plans are not ideological. They're not divisive. [17:28] They're practical things that everyone can get behind, as I say, to make our state cal-affordable. [17:33] Three dollar gas, cut your electric bills in half, your first hundred grand tax-free. [17:38] Katie Porter agrees with that plan. She actually joked in a previous debate that she stole [17:45] her tax plan from me. That shows you that actually there are things that we can work together on. [17:50] I think that's what Californians expect, and that's the attitude they'll get from me as their governor. [17:56] Mr. Hilton, Stephanie from Crom4 News. California has only seen four Republican governors in the last [18:03] half century. Do you expect that to change after tonight? [18:07] Very much so, because I think what really came across, I think, to everyone watching tonight, [18:12] was that you've got a choice. You don't have to put up with this. It doesn't have to be like this. [18:17] The choice can't just be to put up with these sky-high costs and the hassle of running a business [18:22] and doing anything in California just to put up with it or to leave the state. There actually now is [18:28] a positive, practical, common-sense alternative. Yes, I'm running as a Republican candidate, [18:34] but honestly, this is a platform and a set of ideas that everybody can get behind, regardless of party. [18:41] And I will be the governor for all Californians to bring our state together and really put us back [18:47] on track to restore the California dream so that our kids and young people in our state don't feel [18:53] that they have to move to another state to have that dream of owning their own home or starting [18:58] their own business. I want California to be the best place to do that. [19:01] How helpful was President Trump's endorsement of your campaign for you? [19:05] Well, as I said in the debate stage, one of the proudest days of my life was the day that I became [19:10] an American citizen. And as a naturalized citizen, a new American, it's obviously a great honor to be [19:17] endorsed by the President of the United States. I think that it's going to mean that when I'm governor, [19:22] we'll have a cooperative relationship with the administration in Washington. And by the way, [19:27] I would have that approach if it was a Democrat administration, because my job as governor is to [19:32] get the best possible results for Californians. In this case, it means that we'll have an immediately [19:38] strong positive relationship to get things done. For example, finding the fraud in our government so [19:43] that we can cut spending and cut taxes, working to manage our forests better so we reduce wildfire [19:49] risks. All these things were actually a constructive partnership with the federal administration [19:55] will benefit all Californians. Can Doug Swalwell yet accept President Trump's endorsement seeing [20:02] as they both have rampant sexual misconduct allegations? Well, I think that those things were [20:06] settled by the American people many years ago. These all go back a long way with respect to one of the [20:13] people you mentioned, whereas these other allegations are very recent. And I think they're completely different [20:18] in the sense that they haven't been, you haven't had elections where Americans have been able to [20:23] issue their verdict on that situation. Okay? Thank you very much. Thank you. Good to see you all. [20:31] Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. [20:32] But Californians should know, the person in this race who has only one interest, which is the interest [21:14] of working Californians, the ability of them to live the California dream and to be able to afford [21:18] to California, the only person on the stage who's doing that is me. Everybody else is getting the [21:23] benefit of either their direct support and Javier Becerra, the oil companies maxed out to Javier Becerra. [21:30] They're making an investment that he will preserve their earnings. And they're spending 10 million [21:35] dollars against me because they know that I know that they've been ripping off Californians for [21:40] decades. And they continue to rip us off. We had a wildfire question. By the way, why are we having [21:46] wildfires? Could it be global warming? Absolutely. But are the oil companies paying for their pollution? [21:53] Absolutely not. The person on that stage who has a plan to make them do it, to make polluters pay, is me. [21:59] And they know it. And they're scared. And they think I'm serious. That's what's going on in this race. [22:04] It's change versus status quo. And I'm the only person on that stage who's pushing for change. [22:09] Mr. Sire, the state has structural deficits, budget deficits, forecasted for the next few years. [22:15] How do you feel about inheriting that possibly? Do you think that the legislature and Governor Newsom [22:21] have a spending problem? Let me say this. I think that we all know that Donald Trump kicked one to three [22:29] million people off Medi-Cal and expects the state to pick that up. And he did that in order to pay for [22:36] tax cuts for the richest Americans and the biggest corporations. So in answer to your question, do I [22:42] know that's true? I know that's true. That's why I said on my first day as governor, I will call for a [22:47] special election to close a corporate real estate taxable worth $20 billion to the state to close that [22:55] structural deficit. Am I aware that exists? Yes. I'm the only person in this race who's talking about [23:01] how to solve that problem, who's not just pointing it out, but understands the problem and has a [23:05] solution. And the truth is, if you look at every one of the policy issues in this state, the person [23:10] who has a structural answer is me. Stephanie Lynn from Cronfore News. Thanks so much. [23:15] There's a fair amount of agreement. I would say I strongly disagree with Mr. Bianco, who characterized [23:20] every person experiencing homelessness as somebody with either addiction or mental health. That is [23:26] simply not true. There are people who are fleeing their house because of domestic violence. There [23:30] are people who are foster kids aging out of foster care who wind up on our streets. So I didn't think [23:36] that was fair to paint people experiencing homelessness with such a broad brush. Thank you. A few more [23:41] questions. Now, the question on, of course, with Eric Swalwell, I mean, that's what a lot of people have [23:47] been focusing on. But I remember you and I have spoken about a matter of the videos that came out. [23:54] The fact that that keeps coming up, is that frustrating to you, number one? And number two, [23:58] what's your message to California is just about who you are and what you want them to know about [24:03] how you would lead and treat your staff? Yeah. I mean, I'm always happy to answer questions. I think [24:07] that's mark of a leader. And I'm always going to take responsibility when I fall short. And I did that on [24:11] day one. But look, anybody who's trying to draw an analogy between Eric Swalwell's sexual assault on [24:18] multiple women and somebody who got short with a staffer four years ago and apologized promptly, [24:24] I don't think that's a fair comparison. I think that reflects some of the same misogyny and sexism [24:30] that allowed Eric Swalwell to abuse those women in the first place. And I think this is a time for [24:34] women to speak up and women to lead. And finally, on high expectations for all of our children to [24:41] learn and ensuring teacher quality. I don't believe that your seniority as a teacher should simply be [24:49] based on how many years you've been there. We need to ensure that our teachers get the support they [24:53] need, that we pay enough to recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers, and that when their [24:59] students are falling behind, we intervene and get them the training and support they need to be [25:05] better at the job. And we should be rewarding those teachers whose students show larger growth in a [25:11] given year. I know from experience as a former public school teacher what it takes to get our [25:16] kids on grade level, and it never includes lowering our expectations for what they can achieve. [25:23] Hi, Mayor Mahan. Good to see you. Stephanie with CROM4. Good to see you in person for the first time. [25:28] Wanted to ask you, no one from San Jose has ever run in one statewide office. Do you expect that to [25:34] change after tonight? Absolutely. I thought tonight was a great introduction to the voters of [25:40] California. Look, these other candidates have been in the race for over a year making the same excuses, [25:45] offering the same empty promises, and they haven't moved in the polls. And there's a reason for that, [25:50] because I'm the only candidate in this race who is not offering MAGA and not offering more of the same [25:57] tired approaches of just always making government bigger. We need government to be better. [26:03] As the mayor of the third largest city in the state of California, I've held City Hall accountable [26:09] for delivering results in people's lives. We have led the state in reducing crime and made San Jose the [26:15] safest big city in the country. We've reduced gun violence by 71 percent, number one in the country. [26:22] We're the only big city in the country to solve 100 percent of homicides. We've reduced homelessness by one [26:29] third and created a model for prevention and interim housing that the rest of the state is looking to. [26:34] And now we have thousands of new homes under construction because I took on the establishment [26:39] within my own party. Sped up permitting, reduced one-time fees to get housing built for middle-class [26:46] and working families. That's the kind of leadership we need. Proven executive leadership that's willing to [26:51] challenge the status quo to hold government accountable for delivering better results in [26:57] people's lives. Better government, not always bigger government. And we also know that you're [27:02] deeply connected and you have a huge backing, a significant backing from folks in the Silicon [27:06] Valley. How do you ensure that you're building bridges and reaching out to folks in rural pockets [27:11] of California, for example? Well, I grew up in a small farming town. I grew up in Watsonville. [27:16] My mom was a teacher. My dad was a union mailman. We were paycheck to paycheck growing up. When the [27:22] price of gas goes up a dollar, I know what that means for working families who are being forced to [27:28] make impossible trade-offs in their lives. That's who I'm fighting for. That's who I fought for as mayor [27:34] of San Jose. So I fought to reduce barriers to building housing, make neighborhoods safer. When children [27:40] were falling behind in our schools, we funded high dosage tutoring to intervene and help them get [27:45] on grade level. And look, I'm the only candidate in this race who has experience regulating big tech. [27:52] We created the rules of the road for how to actually buy and use technology in government. [27:58] We've harnessed it to speed up buses, expand language access, identify potholes faster. So these [28:04] tools are powerful. But because they're powerful, I know that they can also do great harm. That's why [28:10] I would require parental consent for social media for any young person 16 years or younger. That's why [28:18] I would ban cell phones in all of our public high schools. It's why we have the strictest security and [28:24] privacy controls in San Jose. We delete data every 30 days if we're not actively using it because we [28:29] don't want to build long-term profiles on people. Being the mayor of the largest city in Silicon Valley [28:35] comes with a special responsibility to lead the way in showing how technology can be used to make [28:41] people's lives better and to regulate it and shape it and control it so that it doesn't harm people. [28:48] I take both of those responsibilities very seriously. All right, Mayor Mahan, thank you so much. [28:53] I appreciate it. Thank you. That can give that to you. It's career politicians [29:26] for the guy that solved your problems for the last 33 years in the executive branch, mind you. [29:34] And I know how government works. I know the things that work good and I know the things that are [29:39] broken. I work well in a 4-1 Democrat board in a Democrat county and we work outside of politics in [29:47] that county. Politics don't destroy our county because we work for the betterment of our residents. [29:52] And I'm taking the same mentality to the Capitol building. We're going to do that in Sacramento. [29:57] How do you feel about being able to represent a largely Democratic state, [30:01] but also, you know, you're obviously in the Republican Party and do you feel you could bridge [30:06] that gap between a state that's largely antithetical to the Trump administration, for example? [30:11] I know I can because this isn't about President Trump. People are dying for honesty. And I have to tell [30:18] you, sometimes the media is at fault because you just keep repeating the lies that are coming from [30:23] the progressive left in this state. And if you would stop repeating their lies and question them [30:27] on their lies, their lies fall apart immediately. And then Californians are going to realize, hey, [30:32] wait a minute, we've been lied to for how long? And then they're going to get behind me. So here's the [30:36] difference between me and every other person on that stage. I'm not doing this for the Republican [30:41] Party, the Democrat Party or the Independent Party. I am doing it for Californians. I am going to be the [30:46] governor for all of Californians to make our lives better. [30:50] Uh, Sheriff Bianco, Stephanie Lynn from CROM4. Thanks for being here. Um, President Trump chose [30:55] to endorse the other candidate. Any thoughts about that? [30:57] No, I, I've said it many, many times. I would, I didn't, I didn't say, let me run for California [31:03] governor so I can get the president's endorsement. It means nothing to me. It would have been nice to [31:08] say the president endorsed me. I got Steve saying it tonight that it was, it was impressive for him. [31:13] It would have been, but that's not why I'm doing this. I want Californians endorsement. I want [31:18] every voter in California to want a better life in California, cheaper gas, no income taxes, [31:24] $2 gas, schools that actually educate their kids, houses that we can actually afford, [31:31] that we can afford, that builders can afford to build. I will make California the most business [31:35] friendly state in the country. We will have no state income tax. We will have the best education, [31:41] the best educated kids in our country. We will end this ridiculous government controlled water [31:47] issue that we have. We will have 100% of the water for all of the farming and for all of the residential [31:51] area that we need. We are going to California is the greatest state in the country and we are once [31:56] again going to allow Californians to let it be the greatest state in the country because it is only [32:01] being prevented now by California state government. Now people largely know that you have an extensive [32:09] background in law enforcement, of course, but when it comes to statewide governing, [32:15] maybe not so much. Could you speak to people's concerns about that? Tell me what any of those [32:19] people on stage have. They are career politicians that have destroyed the environment that we live [32:24] in. I am at the highest level of the executive branch of one of the biggest counties in our state. [32:31] I run the fourth largest sheriff's office in the entire country, a $1.3 billion budget per year, [32:37] in the black. I know how government's supposed to work. I know how government fails. I have to deal [32:42] with a failed government all the time as we try and make improvements, as we try and get through [32:47] bureaucratic red tape. I've been fighting for eight years against the Sacramento that does not want [32:52] Californians safe. If we want to fix our unbelievable crime problem in California, our unbelievable [32:58] corruption problem in California, we better send somebody there that actually wants to fix that. [33:04] And I mean, don't want to sound corny, but who better than the guy with the gun, the badge, [33:07] and the handcuffs? Because people have to be held accountable for what they have done to this state, [33:12] and we will hold them accountable, and we will make sure that it never happens again. [33:16] Sheriff Biancu, thank you so much. You're welcome. We heard from the majority of candidates who [33:49] participated in the governor's debate tonight, and let's check in now with our Democratic strategist, [33:53] Scott. Good to see you. Nice to see you. What a night it's been. It's been a whirlwind. [33:58] So in terms of highlights, key takeaways, what were some of your first impressions? [34:03] I thought everyone was remarkably consistent with the lane that they intended to end up in. So you [34:10] had two Republicans who just kept hitting Democrat failure, Democrat failure, Democrat failure, [34:15] and they were consistent the entire time. I think you had Tom Steyer trying to remind everybody that [34:20] he's the front runner. And I think you had Katie Porter who really kind of got the message that it's now [34:25] or never, and this is a time to start throwing some haymakers of our own and maybe landing one or [34:30] two. I think Becerra sort of established again he's kind of a reasonable, even-tempered guy. [34:36] I'm sure there have been times where people want him to be a little quicker to throw a jab, [34:41] but I thought it was remarkably even-tempered. And I don't know that anybody really jumped out ahead [34:51] on it. I don't know that this is going to be a huge poll mover, but it was interesting to see [34:56] them all up there mixing it up for the first time. Yeah, and we talk a lot about viral moments, [35:01] right? A lot of- a number of people who made it to the debate stage here, for example, like Katie [35:06] Porter knew how to create those viral moments for herself, you know, for the whiteboard, for example, [35:10] during those congressional hearings to give herself more of that national platform and draw that and build [35:14] that brand recognition for herself. Did you see any of those viral moments happening here on the stage [35:20] tonight? I think the biggest thing that will come out of it, I think there are two that stick out [35:25] for me. One is the grading phase when the candidates- That was fascinating. [35:30] You cast a grade Governor Newsom on homelessness, and I think it was sort of interesting thinking about [35:36] what was in the back of everybody's mind. They have a very popular, important sitting governor that they [35:41] don't really stand to benefit from, you know, whacking like a pinata. And the Republicans jumped on that [35:47] the minute they could, saying, B, you've got to be kidding me. Which was Katie Porter's grade. [35:52] Which was Katie Porter's grade, and I think the lowest Governor Newsom got in his report card there [35:55] was Tom Steyer at B minus, so it's not too bad. I think Mahan said D for execution, maybe? D for [36:01] execution, but A for intent or something. I don't know where those are on my old report cards. But [36:07] the other was, you know, I think what will be a viral moment, particularly if he advances, is Chad [36:15] Bianco declaring he's sort of ended racism, and everyone's sick of it, and we're not talking about [36:18] it anymore. So that was a bold statement. Yeah. One of several we heard from him tonight. Yeah. [36:26] Now, in terms of, let's talk a little bit about his candidacy for a moment, because he's an [36:31] interesting candidate, Riverside County Sheriff. He has a very strong law and order stance. Do you [36:36] think that he's going to be able to be relatable to a very blue California state? No, because I think [36:42] we've all been pulled over by Chad Bianco once. You know, everybody's sort of had that experience of, [36:47] you know, he's kind of straight out of central casting. And I think he cuts an imposing figure [36:52] for a lot of communities that don't have a strong relationship with law enforcement and a guy [36:57] standing there saying, hey, there's no such thing as racism anymore. That's jarring for people to hear. [37:03] So, you know, it's great when you're cutting up 40% of a Republican electorate, [37:10] when you have to take that beyond your partisan corner and actually get into the independence and [37:16] maybe potentially pull over some middle of the road Democrats. That's kind of disqualifying. [37:24] And in terms of also, I want to talk a little bit about Matt Mahan as well. Really interesting [37:28] candidate. He, it seems like he just kind of made the cusp when it came to this debate, [37:34] polling at 5%. How do you think about his performance tonight? Do you think he was [37:37] able to draw in some more votes? Yeah. Look, I don't know if you know this, [37:41] but he was the mayor of San Jose. He didn't mention once or twice during the debate, [37:44] but he, you know, I think he's, he's staying really, again, I think it was said at the beginning, [37:49] really consistent on here's this experiment that's worked well in San Jose. I'm going to talk about [37:56] that because I've got good numbers that I can, I can put up and I don't have to be too speculative about it. [38:00] So we'll see. I mean, I think the, the, the post Swalwell world is really about deciding who is [38:08] that third viable candidate after Steyer and after Porter. DeSera jumped out faster than anybody else [38:14] thought they would. It's kind of a now or never moment for, for Mahan. He's got a lot of ads up [38:19] on TV. And so we'll see if between, you know, a reasonably strong performance up there and I think a [38:24] little bit more exposure on the air that that translates into a few extra points, but it's [38:29] going to take a little time. Now, hypothetically, [38:34] if a Republican were to win this governor's race, how would that reflect on Governor Newsom [38:40] and his run for presidency? I, this is a math problem, right? This is, you've got a 60 40 state. [38:49] And so if you have two Republicans that are perfectly splitting the Republican electorate at 2020, [38:56] three Democrats. Okay. Four Democrats is a nightmare. So, um, I don't know. It's such a [39:02] weird outlier of like political junkie conversations. It's kind of like a brokered convention. They always [39:08] say, well, you know, it's going to happen this time and then it never actually happens. So I think it [39:13] would be a, a bigger sort of, um, wake up moment for, for Democrats and, and sort of our electoral [39:20] systems in general, uh, about whether or not the, the systems worked the way that we thought they [39:25] would. Um, but I don't know that it reflects on, on Newsom, uh, other than to just show that we had a, [39:32] I think the way it does reflect on Newsom is we've had about 16 years now of larger than life figures [39:40] in the democratic party sitting at the top of, of, of power in, in California from Jerry Brown to [39:46] Gavin Newsom. Um, and I think it's been really hard for anybody else to sort of establish themselves [39:51] with these two giants kind of blocking out the sun. I think it's also interesting that really some of [39:57] the big democratic political powerhouses like Padilla, like Newsom, like Pelosi have not shown [40:03] their endorsement for any of these candidates yet. Well, I, my understanding is that I think prior to the, [40:10] the, the, the Swalwell implosion, uh, that was getting close. And I think as the whispers were growing, [40:15] everyone backed away from it a little bit. Um, we'll see, there are maybe five Democrats in the, [40:21] in the, the sort of ecosystem who could really move the needle where an endorsement from one of them [40:27] would be meaningful. It's probably Barack Obama, Gavin Newsom, maybe Jerry Brown, uh, maybe a Kamala Harris [40:35] and, and Adam Schiff Padilla, but that's about it. So, um, I think the, the, the hard thing for all of [40:40] them is there's not a lot of upside in getting involved in, in what has been a really kind of, [40:45] uh, tough slog for, for the last, uh, 12 months. Now, I know we were just talking about Katie Porter. [40:51] I do want to play some sound for our viewers right now with her responding to a question about [40:56] the viral videos that she was featured quite prominently, unfortunately, for her campaign. [41:01] Let's play that. Ms. Porter, you've acknowledged that your interactions [41:04] with an aid and with a reporter captured on videos, which went viral, uh, were in your words, [41:11] a bad look and that you could have done better. What have you done to address those concerns? [41:17] And as a person who frequently speaks about being a parent on the campaign trail, [41:21] what would you tell your own kids if they ever faced a boss like that? You have 60 seconds. [41:26] I apologized that day to that staffer four years ago, and I took responsibility then, [41:32] and I have taken responsibility since acknowledging that it was not the right way to treat someone. [41:38] And that is a big contrast to what we have seen other candidates do when they have been called out [41:43] for misconduct. I'm proud that that staffer in that video and I continued to work together for [41:49] four years following that incident. And it speaks to how I addressed it. I work hard with my team to [41:55] deliver for Californians, things like free COVID testing in the first days of the pandemic, first weeks [42:00] of the pandemic, things like cracking down on pharmaceutical price gouging, calling out a bank [42:05] CEO for the fact that their employees couldn't pay for housing. All of my accomplishments have come [42:11] from my team. And I would say that if somebody is treating you rudely, you should speak up. And that's [42:17] what I would want my children to do. And that's what I did when I was being pushed again and again and again. [42:22] And of course, that sound again coming from former Congresswoman Katie Porter. How do you think she [42:31] handled that response? I think she answered it as well as she could have answered it, which is probably [42:37] not well enough. Like, I don't know how much more she could have said, but this is going to be continue [42:42] to be the thing that hangs over her campaign. And I think, you know, I heard a couple of the follow-up [42:48] questions she got in the gaggle about about a double standard. And I think you have to acknowledge that [42:52] there is one because there are all kinds of sort of revered business and political leaders who have [42:58] sort of legendary tempers. And for some reason, it has been applied to her in a way that is way more [43:06] damaging to her persona. But the fact remains, I think it is the single biggest cloud that hangs over [43:14] a campaign. Okay, something voters will be considering as we get closer to June. We do have some sound here [43:20] from Javier Becerra that we'd like to play here for our viewers as well. Mr. Becerra, you were chair [43:26] of the Democratic Caucus when Eric Swalwell was elected to Congress. You said in a recent interview [43:31] that, quote, many of us heard the rumors. What rumors did you hear? And should you have pursued the [43:37] rumors as a member of Democratic leadership? You have 60 seconds. Thanks, Nikki. Yeah, you hear rumors [43:42] all the time about all sorts of things. Rumors are not facts. And the caucus, the Democratic [43:48] caucus is not a place that adjudicates those things. It's law enforcement that does. If someone [43:52] had come forward, we could then have investigations. I say that as the former attorney general for the [43:57] state of California. When I was attorney general, we did go after sex trafficking. We did go after [44:03] those who abuse of young women and take advantage of them. We did prosecute people. There was an [44:08] individual who was a religious leader who was taking advantage of young women. We prosecuted that [44:13] individual. Today, he is in jail for his crimes. We have gone after people, but we go after them [44:19] based on evidence and based on facts. Unfortunately, we have a president today who would go after [44:24] someone based on rumors. That's not the way we do it in America. We have to have the facts. Rumors are [44:29] one thing, but getting the facts really gets you to move. And let me just applaud those courageous [44:35] survivors who stood up and told America what the truth was. And today, Eric Swalwell is facing accountability. [44:42] So how do you feel about how Becerra handled that question when it comes to [44:51] him potentially hearing these rumors about what Eric Swalwell is accused of doing? [44:56] I think it was sort of appropriate to step back and say this is a law enforcement matter. [45:03] But at the same time, there are 435 members of Congress that are going to continue to get that [45:08] question. I think they only overlap maybe two terms in D.C. before he was back here. But I think, [45:15] you know, his behavior is going to dog a lot of people. So, you know, I don't know that that's [45:22] going to be something that sticks to him and whether it was his responsibility to out another [45:26] congressman or to launch an investigation into it. But, you know, these moments, everybody seems to [45:32] have their reckoning at once. So I thought it was an okay answer, but it won't be something that ends up [45:40] sticking terribly hard to him. Now, notably, Becerra was the only candidate who did not come [45:45] down to the spin room to speak with media after the debate. What do you think that might potentially [45:49] be? Late flight? No, you know, I do think, given the trajectory, you know, I think part of Javier [45:58] Becerra's strategy, because he is a very even-tempered, reasonable guy. And I think, I was having a conversation [46:04] earlier, when you're standing next to two Republicans that are just throwing constant haymakers, that [46:08] presents a little bit of a dichotomy. But I think his goal in this was to come into the debate, [46:17] be that even, consistent, experienced official, demonstrate that he still has that competency, [46:24] and get back out. And I think he probably felt like he didn't have a lot more to say after that. I think, [46:29] you know, Katie Porter came down and immediately had a lot to say about her opponents. You know, [46:36] Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco resumed their axes at Democratic leadership in California. You know, [46:43] but I think, you know, I think he probably felt like he accomplished what he needed to. [46:48] And interestingly, he is the only candidate who was on that stage who has statewide governing experience, [46:53] correct? He is the only candidate there who has won a statewide race in California. [46:58] And that's the other interesting thing about this race is that the majority of [47:02] these candidates, these top candidates who are running, they don't have that experience. [47:05] Why do you think that is? [47:10] I think that the big chairs in California have been occupied for a long time. There's, I mean, [47:15] we had two Senate seats that were occupied for a very long time by two revered senators. Those only [47:20] changed, you know, fairly recently. There just haven't been a lot of slots open. So I think, [47:26] you know, Becerra is one of the few. The others are otherwise occupied. You've got Kamala Harris [47:32] that sort of is looking at other possibilities and maybe president in 2028 rumors. That's the word. [47:39] All right. So bringing it back to Matt Mahan, we know that he has pretty deep Silicon Valley ties. A [47:44] lot of his donors are from the Silicon Valley. We have some sound we're going to play about his [47:49] relationship to big tech. Let's listen to Mr. Mahan. We will start this round with you. [47:53] Artificial intelligence is replacing jobs in every industry. Your campaign is supported in part by [48:00] billionaire tech executives. How can voters concerned about AI trust you to work for them [48:06] and not the tech industry? You have 60 seconds. Thanks, Nikki. I'm the only candidate on this stage [48:12] who has direct experience with deploying AI in government and regulating it. We created the playbook [48:19] in San Jose that hundreds of other cities and counties use to put restrictions on how technology [48:26] is used. Being the mayor of the largest city in Silicon Valley, I am at the forefront of these [48:32] technological changes. I know that these tools can be harnessed to do great good, to make government [48:38] more efficient and more responsive. We've sped up buses and improved language access. But I also [48:43] understand the risks to privacy, misinformation and manipulation, job loss, which is why we've put [48:51] strict regulations on our use of technology that other cities are following. We've created the first [48:57] AI upskilling curriculum for our workforce so that they aren't displaced by technology, but they can use [49:02] it to enhance their work. I am not afraid to regulate big tech or any other industry. And as governor, [49:08] I'll make sure we protect the people of California. All right, your thoughts to that? I think the [49:18] coalition of tech money that's sort of materialized around the mayor really is a response to, I think, [49:28] a perception that they don't have allies in the rest of the race. So, you know, I think the, you know, [49:36] Matt Mann's best sort of tack on that is really saying, look, there's nuance here. Two things can be [49:42] true at the same time. You can be inquisitive and you can be curious about regulatory frameworks and [49:51] you can be aggressive about it. But you're also not going to get your arms around the challenge [49:56] that we're facing from AI, from AI infrastructure and all the resources that that requires by [50:04] trying to put the genie back in the bottle. So, you know, I think it's a quandary that a lot of [50:10] candidates face is in order to get the coverage that I need, I might have to take on resources from [50:17] people that I'm going to have to spend a lot of time explaining about. But I think the more he can [50:22] he can sort of talk to that sort of two-pronged challenge of like, look, AI is here. We can't, [50:28] it's not going away. But we can harness it and put responsible guardrails around it at the same time. [50:37] And notably, and I was looking at the numbers around this, he's raised the most out of any [50:41] other candidate on the stage with the exception of Mr. Steyer, who of course is funding much of his [50:47] own campaign. Yeah, one donor effort. Yep. A large effort. I think Steyer has spent a hundred, [50:52] well, he's raised 120 million at least, and he spent a large majority of that on ads. [50:57] Mm-hmm. Well, I think you've got Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, who are not shy at all about their, [51:03] in their language on large corporations, on big tech companies, on raising tax rates on those big [51:09] companies. So I think you've got all these tech companies that are sort of freaking out and [51:12] thinking, well, if somebody is going to be our guy, who is it? And, and they landed on man, [51:18] as the mayor of the biggest city closest to, to the heart of their universe. So, you know, [51:24] I think not totally shocking. That's a, it's a well-heeled industry in general. [51:29] But again, it, it, it's, it's a double-edged sword. It's, it, it's the, the lifeblood of the [51:33] campaign that he needs to actually get out there and keep going. And I think, you know, especially [51:38] as this field starts winnowing, the fact that he does have a pretty significant war chest and some [51:43] IE money on the outside is what will keep him in. But it, it, it sort of opens up a new [51:49] vulnerability that we heard Katie Porter attack multiple times tonight and Tom Steyer as well. [51:53] I want to talk about the parties in general. I thought it was really interesting that neither [51:58] the Republican, neither at the Republican state convention or the democratic state convention, [52:04] they, they weren't able to determine an endorsement when it came to a candidate for [52:08] governor. Can you speak to that? [52:09] I, again, I think it's, uh, there is no bench in California that has been clearly developed. [52:16] I mean, I can't speak too much to the, to the Republican side. I mean, I, other than just [52:20] sort of looking around and there hasn't been a, a sort of, um, reliable Republican foil in the state [52:26] who's, who's emerged and stayed there for a long time. Um, but on the democratic side, again, it's, [52:32] it's, there've been these huge names that have come out of California. Um, you know, [52:36] Jerry Brown after, you know, in his second stint as governor, um, you know, this is the, you know, [52:41] the, the, the sort of afterglow of Willie Brown's, uh, mark on the state. And then you've got Gavin [52:48] who, who, uh, you know, was the biggest personality in the state in democratic politics. So I just don't [52:53] know that that created an opportunity for other Democrats to establish themselves. And it, it just [52:59] split the field. Everybody likes everybody a little bit, but doesn't love anybody a lot. [53:04] What I found really fascinating too, was the fact that Hilton had the president Trump's endorsement [53:11] and yet the members of the state, the members of the state Republican parties still couldn't [53:16] coalesce behind it. Fascinating. It's really fascinating. And I think, I think he only used, [53:20] um, president Trump's name one time. Um, so I thought, you know, as, as we were talking about [53:25] all of the democratic candidates being aware when they were going through their, their report cards of [53:29] not being too critical of, of, uh, you know, governor Newsom, who they hope might, uh, endorse them. Um, [53:37] it was interesting. Um, Bianco didn't want to talk about him because he didn't get the [53:41] endorsement. Uh, Steve Hilton didn't want to talk about him because the numbers here are about as [53:46] good as they are nationally. So I, you know, I don't, um, it's, it sort of speaks to the, [53:53] the popularity of Trump in the state. It's just not the asset that it was even in a state Republican [53:59] party with the potential that maybe even hurting Hilton in the long run. I think that the fact that [54:04] he didn't talk a lot about it. I mean, I, if, if Hilton thought it was a real asset, [54:08] he would have been talking about it a lot more. All right. Scott Drexel, our democratic strategist. [54:13] Thank you so much for your insight. Really appreciate it. And thanks to all of you for [54:16] joining us here on Chrome 4 plus for our post governor's debate programming. We appreciate [54:21] you watching. We hope that watching all of this helps you make an informed decision as you cast [54:25] your vote on June 2nd. I'm Stephanie Lynn. Thank you so much for watching.