Governor’s race: Sparks fly as San Jose mayor fends off rivals from left and right in first debate

The first major televised debate among leading candidates for California governor Tuesday saw the race’s newest entrant — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — draw fire from both ends of the political spectrum.

For most of the two-hour debate aired on KTVU in the Bay Area and KTTV in Los Angeles featuring a half dozen Democrats and one Republican, the candidates stuck to their campaign talking points with little acknowledgement of their rivals. Mahan was singled out by name by two of his rivals on the stage.

But afterward, Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, told TV interviewers she felt “Matt Mahan did very well in the debate.”

Steve Hilton, the Republican in the debate, said he was amazed that Mahan, who has often criticized current Gov. Gavin Newsom, gave him credit in recent remarks for his effort in dealing with homelessness.

The mayor noted in response that Hilton had visited him in San Jose last month “to see what’s working” and said, “I don’t know what changed in the last week, but it seems (to be) the fact that I jumped into this race. Frankly, that’s exactly what’s wrong with our politics.”

The mayor also fended off criticism from billionaire entrepreneur and Democratic environmental activist Tom Steyer who has been vocal about other billionaires and corporations needing to pay their fair share in taxes. Mahan, who comes from the tech sector, has been critical about a proposed tax on the state’s billionaires that he says would drive high-paying jobs out of California.

“Right now the big tech CEOs are terrified about the idea of paying their fair share. Right now they’re supporting Matt, that’s where they are,” Steyer said. “Who have I got? I’ve got the nurses, I’ve got the bus drivers, I’ve got the cafeteria workers, I’ve got the custodians.”

Mahan responded that he supports closing tax loopholes on the wealthy but that the proposed wealth tax would hurt the state and said “our politics has been oversimplified” by “populists on both sides and you deserve real answers not easy answers.”

Some of the biggest names in the race weren’t on the debate stage: Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter, and Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. Organizers said all three cited schedule conflicts. Swalwell’s campaign said he chose to stay in Washington, D.C. to vote against Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding.

Hilton called Bianco a “RINO” — it stands for “Republican In Name Only” — and criticized him for not showing up to the debate “to face these Democrats or his record.”

“Chad Bianco has more baggage than LAX,” Hilton said.

Experts interviewed afterward by the moderators differed on how much the candidates who didn’t participate would be hurt by it. Jasmyne Cannick, a Democratic Party delegate in Los Angeles, said it would have some impact. Michelson however noted that those candidates all are leading in polls and could afford to skip.

Democrats are heavily favored in California where they outnumber Republicans 2 to 1 in voter registration. But some of the six Democrats on stage struggled to separate themselves from the pack as they denounced the Trump administration and pledged to make California more affordable.

“The assignment for all of them was to distinguish themselves,” Michelson said after the debate. “At the end they were trying to answer that question…and many of them talked about being ready to go on day one, this is no place for job training, you’ve got to be a fighter, but if you all say the same thing, you’re not distinguishing yourselves.”

Other Democrats in the debate were former health secretary and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former state Controller Betty Yee and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Michelson said that Mahan, who jumped into the race less than a week ago, had the most “unique vision” among Democrats, presenting a message that appeared to resonate with viewers.

“He absolutely has a shot,” Michelson said of the mayor who will need to build his name recognition in a state where half of all voters live hundreds of miles from the city he leads.

The debate came as the candidates reported their latest campaign fundraising hauls. Steyer, who spent $27 million in the race last year, aired several ads leading up to and during the televised debate.

The debate remained civil throughout with little mud-slinging in a race that has seen few attack ads. Yee closed by calling herself “the adult in the room.” Villaraigosa said he’s “a proven problem solver.” Thurmond talked about his struggles with poverty in his youth. Becerra talked about his experience as attorney general taking on the Trump administration and saying the governor’s office is a “place where you have to fight.”