Politics
Commentary: A cheat sheet for the California governor debate: Here’s what to watch for
Contenders in the race to be California’s next governor will meet on stage Tuesday night for the second of three planned debates before the June 2 primary.
Last week’s meet-up in San Francisco didn’t provide the fireworks or memorable moments the candidates, and many voters, were hoping for — but it did manage to remind us all that ballots will hit mailboxes in coming days and decisions must be made.
Ahead of the forum at Pomona College in Claremont, a trio of our Times columnists — Gustavo Arellano, Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria — weigh in with a cheat sheet on what to look for, what to expect and why it matters.
Chabria: I’ll start us off with the obvious — let’s hope Tuesday gives us at least one breakout candidate who comes with some fire and vision.
After last week’s debate, there was lots of social media posturing about who won and who trolled whom the best. But as one of the six people who actually watched, I can tell you it was mostly bland with no clear winner.
That’s in large part because many of the Democrats have only slivers of daylight between their policies, and ditto for the two Republicans.
So my hope is that at least a single candidate ups their game and comes to voters with not just attacks, but something that inspires, something that sets them apart. This far into the race, that hope is slim, but I’m keeping it alive.
What are your hopes and dreams — and maybe fears — going into this?
Barabak: I know I sound like a broken record. (Google it, kids.) Anita, you and I, in particular, have gone round and round on this one. But I don’t feel a particular need for inspiration from the guys and gal that are running for governor. If I want inspiration, I’ll go back and reread the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Or listen to a Grateful Dead show from May of ’77.
Give me someone who can work with the Legislature, and as difficult as it may be, President Trump, to get stuff done.
Pursue a “California First” agenda, to borrow a phrase. Put voters and their interests ahead of ego, careerism and personal ambition. Start by pledging, if elected, to serve a full four-year term and not run for president so long as they’re serving as governor.
Of course, that kind of promise can be broken. (See then-Gov. Pete Wilson, who made that vow when he sought reelection in 1994, then turned around and — unsuccessfully — sought the White House in 1995.)
At least we’d have them on the record.
Arellano: I’m all for this morass of democracy. A small part of me wants two Republicans to make it into the general election because the California Democratic Party deserves a meteor-like extinction event. No GOP statewide elected official since Schwarzenegger. Supermajority in Sacramento for most of a decade.
And what do they have to show for their one-party rule? This.
But then I hear Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton mewl, and I’m suddenly hoping alongside Anita that someone vanquishes their foes with an unassailable vision. Problem is, I think all the candidates have reached their ceiling. The only one who has any chance of showing us something new is Xavier Becerra, who needs to drop his Dudley Do-Right shtick for a second and channel the inner cholo we all know is in him.
Instead, he was at a fundraiser in Fullerton over the weekend with professional Latinos — you should’ve been kicking it with my cousins in Anaheim who were watching their Dodgers slaughter the Cubs, loco, because they’re the ones who’ll make or break you.
Chabria: How the first potential Latino governor is failing to excite Latino voters is exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t give voters something to be excited about, they don’t vote, and our fragile democracy needs every voter it can get.
But if we are forced to vote on nuance, let’s do it informed. Here are some questions I hope these candidates have to answer:
For San José Mayor Matt Mahan, funded in the mega-millions by tech bros, it’s not enough to promise to regulate artificial intelligence, or billionaire influence, for that matter. Tell us what those regulations look like and tell us how you reconcile your own politics with those of big donors such as Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, who has called Gen Z the “loser generation.”
For billionaire investor Tom Steyer, who has said he will reform Proposition 13 (which limits property taxes) for corporate land owners: What assurances do homeowners have that they won’t be next?
For former Rep. Katie Porter, polling third among Democrats, the clock is ticking — is there a point where you will drop out and endorse a fellow candidate if you can’t break through? Same-ies for state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who are included in this debate but polling in the single digits.
And I agree with you, Gustavo, Becerra is coming across as resolutely bland, but to Mark’s point, he’s using that to position himself as drama-free and experienced. So in an era when fraud and abuse are the words of the day, how does Becerra explain not catching fraud in his own office?
Mark and Gustavo, what are the topics you hope candidates will be grilled on?
Arellano: Slight correction, Anita — California already had a Latino governor: Romualdo Pacheco, the lieutenant governor who replaced Newton Booth in 1875 when the latter became a U.S. senator. Pacheco — a Latino Republican! — served all of 10 months before becoming a Congress member.
See, Californians? Political musical chairs is as much a part of our state as free-spending oligarchs — but enough about Steyer.
Issues? Immigration, of course. I want each one to address the state’s undocumented immigrants for 90 seconds in whatever matter they choose. Water: Believe in climate change or not, but our supply is shrinking faster than the gubernatorial chances of Thurmond. And since I believe that the more random the question, the more you learn about who a candidate truly is: What’s the best song about California, and why? Anyone who says “California Girls” or “California Gurls” deserves disqualification, even if both songs rock.
Barabak: Not an issue, per se. What I’d like to see is a bit of backbone.
The next governor is going to have to make some tough decisions, especially around spending priorities and/or cuts to the state budget. Inevitably, the next governor is going to make some people unhappy. And I’m not talking about just those members of the opposite party, or folks who didn’t vote for them.
So I’d like each of them to name an issue where, for the good of the state, they’re willing to take on their friends and allies, knowing they’ll be displeased. If you’re a Democrat, name something you would do that would, say, tick off organized labor. And for Republicans Bianco and Hilton, what’s an area where you’re willing to say to Trump, “Sir” — the president imagines everyone bowing and calling him sir — “you’re dead wrong about this and California needs to go its own way, whether you like it or not.”
Arellano: Good luck seeing any candidate buck their masters. I think we need to lower our expectations way, way, well, lower. So a simple question to conclude: Who needs to do the most tonight besides Mahan’s beard? I think it’s my fellow Orange Countian, Katie Porter. She’s now to the right of Steyer and left of Becerra, which means she needs to peel off supporters from both of them and grab undecideds if she wants to advance. Not sure how she can pull that off — but if anyone can bring necessary fire, it’s her.
Chabria: Porter definitely has a lot on the line.
One standout moment for her, Steyer or Becerra — good or bad — could tilt this very-much-undecided race — not so much because people will be watching, but because it will fuel the social media and advertising sure to follow. These next two debates are high-stakes, not just to avoid a Biden performance, but to do something, anything, that fires up momentum.
Politics ain’t beanbag, as the old saying goes, and it’s time to bring the heat. So in the spirit of Gustavo’s song request, I’ll leave it with these lyrics from the Rivieras (or the Ramones, if you prefer): We’re out there having fun, in the warm California sun.
Barabak: Not to be the pooper at the party but I think we shouldn’t overstate the import of tonight’s debate. For one thing, as Anita suggested, the audience will be exceedingly small — minuscule, even, relative to the state’s 23 million registered voters.
We know, from experience, that most folks will take away what they do based not on the debate itself but rather the coverage of it and whatever soundbites, memes, chatter and advertising it produces — and that’s only to the extent people are paying attention.
So, yes, what’s said and done in Pomona, will matter some. But we’re still five weeks away from election day, and I suspect many folks will be waiting at least another week or three to start focusing on the race and finally make up their minds.
I’ll end with something that Jerry Garcia sang: All good things in all good time.
Politics
Rep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
House ethics probes mount as Democrat rep resigns, GOP rep faces expulsion vote
Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns just before her expulsion hearing, facing ethics probes. This news leads to discussions about other members of Congress facing scrutiny, including Republican Rep. Cory Mills and Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar. Mills faces a potential expulsion vote over domestic violence allegations, while Omar’s financial disclosures and alleged marriage fraud are under investigation.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., a scandal-plagued lawmaker facing bipartisan calls to resign, drew a GOP challenger Tuesday who threatens to scramble his re-election bid.
Ryan Elijah, a veteran former news anchor for FOX 35 Orlando, is launching a bid for Mills’ central Florida House seat, vowing to defeat the embattled incumbent in the Sunshine State’s August primary.
Elijah told Fox News Digital that Republican voters should have an alternative to Mills, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations, among other improprieties.
“People in the Seventh District want another choice,” Elijah said in an interview.
Republican House candidate Ryan Elijah, left, attends a UFL event. (Ryan Elijah campaign)
RESIGNATION IS THE NEW ESCAPE HATCH AS LAWMAKERS FACE EXPULSION
Elijah called the allegations against Mills “serious” and said the House Ethics Committee should continue its investigation into the incumbent’s alleged misconduct. The panel announced last week that its only active investigation related to “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence” is the Mills probe.
The committee has not indicated when it plans to wrap up its investigation into Mills, which began in November.
Mills allegedly threatened to release nude images and videos of an ex-girlfriend after their relationship ended, leading a judge to bar him from contacting that individual. He was also involved in an alleged domestic violence incident that drew a police response in Washington, D.C., last year.
The incumbent has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
“I’ve never been indicted for anything,” Mills told Fox News last week. “Everything has just been an accusation, allegation.”
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., drew a GOP challenger on Tuesday as he vies for a third House term. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
HOUSE REPUBLICAN TO MOVE TO CENSURE DEM ACCUSED OF STEALING DISASTER RELIEF MONEY FOR CAMPAIGN
Elijah, a 20-year Florida resident, said he decided to challenge Mills after receiving “overwhelming support” from community leaders in the district to jump into the race.
He also characterized Mills as vulnerable in a general election setting who could put the GOP in danger of losing the Republican-leaning district in November’s midterm elections. Democrats are notably targeting Mills’ seat as a top flip opportunity in the Sunshine State.
“There’s obviously a chance we could lose the seat,” Elijah said, if Mills is the Republican nominee.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report downgraded Mills’ re-election bid from “solid” to “likely” Republican in February.
Mills’ campaign entered April with just over $115,000 in the bank and is more than $2 million in debt, according to recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
Former NASA chief of staff Bale Dalton, Mills’ leading Democratic challenger, ended 2026’s first fundraising quarter with $464,000 in cash on hand.
Mills is running for a third House term with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which can be consequential in competitive GOP primaries.
Elijah said he would still vie for the president’s support.
“I’m not going against the president’s endorsement or even going against the party. I’m going for both of those,” Elijah told Fox News Digital. “Right now, I’m just focused on getting out of the gate and just talking to people, and we’ll see where those chips fall.”
Former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., have all been hit with allegations of misconduct during their time in office. The former three resigned to fend off rare expulsion votes. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images | Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Mills is also facing a potential expulsion threat from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has yet to force a vote on her removal measure.
Three House members facing misconduct allegations resigned from Congress earlier in April to avoid potential expulsion votes. Those lawmakers were former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla.
Mace’s measure accuses Mills of misrepresenting his military service and of illicit involvement in federal contracts as a sitting lawmaker, in addition to alleged sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations.
“This guy has no place in Congress, especially if you’re a woman, especially if you’re a military vet, what he’s done is shameful, and at some point we have to take responsibility for ourselves,” Mace told Fox News on Monday. “If we’re going to hold the left accountable, we’ve got to hold the right accountable too.”
Asked whether Mills should resign, Elijah said members of Congress could force the issue.
“There’s been a lot of calls for him to resign. He obviously decided he wasn’t going to,” Elijah said. “He was going to fight it out at this point. So I think his fate is in the hands of Congress.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Mills’ campaign for comment.
The Trump administration is scrambling to conduct environmental impact reviews of warehouses it plans to convert into immigrant holding facilities, after a flurry of lawsuits claiming the administration sidestepped federal requirements.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is buying the warehouses to help it increase the rate of deportations, which depends on having enough space to house detainees. The administration currently has about 58,000 immigrants in custody, and fell short of its target to reach 100,000 beds by the end of last year.
But the plan to buy and retrofit commercial warehouses to accommodate tens of thousands more detainees may be delayed after hitting roadblocks, including opposition from residents and officials in the communities where the warehouses are located. Now, states are trying to block the projects by arguing that the Trump administration failed to do environmental reviews required under federal law.
In court filings, ICE officials have argued the warehouse renovations are exempt from reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act, citing a variety of reasons.
Justice Department officials have voiced concern in recent weeks that the approach could leave the administration vulnerable to legal challenges, internal documents show. Those fears were realized this month when a federal judge in Maryland blocked plans to retrofit a warehouse in the state, citing the lack of an environmental review.
“That Maryland result changed their strategy,” said Jamison E. Colburn, a professor at Pennsylvania State University who focuses on environmental law. The administration’s move to conduct environmental reviews, he said, appeared to be “them biting the bullet in view of a bigger loss if they didn’t.”
Agency officials now have plans to conduct environmental assessments of at least two of the warehouse sites the government has purchased, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The reviews could take months, according to experts.
So far, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE, has purchased 11 warehouses across the country for about $1 billion.
In the Maryland case, the federal government argued that the project was exempt from a review under the National Environmental Policy Act because it was, among other things, not close to any environmentally sensitive zones and was in an area that had already been built on. In filings in New Jersey and Michigan, the government indicated it would complete the environmental assessments after developing more specific retrofit plans.
So far, legal challenges targeting environmental issues have been filed against warehouse projects in New Jersey, Michigan, Maryland and Arizona.
In a statement, homeland security officials said the agency had complied with federal laws and accused liberals of backing the effort to compel environmental reviews to slow down the Trump administration’s deportation campaign.
The warehouse plan is also intended to help scale back the government’s reliance on private contractors and state entities. Owning more of the detention facilities would allow the government to have more control of the space. But a senior U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told The Times that the new homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, had expressed skepticism about purchasing more warehouses.
Todd Lyons, the acting head of the immigration agency, told the House Appropriations Committee this month that Mr. Mullin was still studying ICE’s warehouse plans.
“He is looking at our whole detention plan. We’re making decisions based on if we’re going to move forward at those locations,” he said.
Mr. Lyons said the facilities would be constructed responsibly.
“It’s actually to be retrofitted to become a detention facility, one that we’ll actually be proud of, one that would actually have standards,” he said.
The environmental law in question is the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires a review by the government of the potential environmental impact of significant federal actions. If the agencies find that there might be an adverse impact, they must then do a more rigorous review.
In Maryland, state officials said in court filings that the warehouse project in Williamsport would inevitably lead to adverse environmental consequences. According to court filings, ICE purchased the Williamsport facility for around $100 million, with plans to convert it “into a facility to temporarily house and process” 500 and potentially as many as 1,500 immigrants.
“Converting the Williamsport warehouse into a massive immigration detention facility will have predictable impacts on the environmental, economic, and public health and safety interests of the State of Maryland,” the lawsuit read. “Among other things, these actions are likely to harm the state’s natural resources and environment — including a waterway that is a tributary to the Potomac River and important habitat to state-protected species.”
District Judge Brendan Hurson appeared to agree with that argument, saying the agency had not addressed key requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
“Had D.H.S. done so, it likely would have found that the rapid transformation of a cargo-processing facility with four toilets and two water fountains into a temporary residence and workplace for hundreds, if not thousands, would jeopardize the health and safety of the surrounding ecosystem in myriad ways, most notably through the likely overtaxing of the sewer system,” the judge wrote.
Allison McCann and Albert Sun contributed reporting.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
California’s “First Partner,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, ripped into President Donald Trump after his contentious “60 Minutes” interview with the female host, slamming the president for “speak[ing] to a woman journalist with that level of contempt.”
The interview included a contentious back-and-forth between Trump and Norah O’Donnell over her questions about the shooter from this past weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with President Trump calling O’Donnell a “disgrace” and “disgraceful” amid the interview.
Trump’s comments came after O’Donnell was reading excerpts from the shooter’s alleged manifesto, which described the president as a “rapist,” “pedophile” and “traitor,” O’Donnell recounted during her talk with the president Sunday evening.
“My family and I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump and Norah O’Donnell last night, and we were shocked. Seeing a president speak to a woman journalist with that level of contempt — and a clear allergy to facts — is disturbing, though at this point not unexpected given his pattern of behavior,” California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wife said in a scathing X post on Monday.
TRUMP REVEALS A ‘BIG POLITICIAN ON THE OTHER SIDE’ ASKED TO HUG HIM AFTER DINNER SHOOTING
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s first partner, speaks during a Gender Equity Summit in Sacramento, California, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. Bloomberg’s Emily Chang meets California’s First Couple, Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and visits their home in Marin County and offices in Sacramento to see how they work together. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“But that is the problem,” she continued. “Because when that level of disrespect from the highest office in the country repeats itself, it starts to trickle down into our culture and define what power looks like, shaping how boys and plenty of men see women and girls and what they come to accept as normal behavior.”
Fox News digital reached out to the White House and to representatives for Governor Newsom and his wife, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Trump’s “60 Minutes interview came Sunday evening after authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif. Authorities indicated Allen had prepared a manifesto outlining his intent, which included anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media. O’Donnell, during the interview, read alleged portions of the document that alluded to concerns about Trump being a sexual abuser and a traitor, leading to a defensive reaction from Trump.
“I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people,” Trump answered. “Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
UNEARTHED CLIP EXPOSES SHOCKING CLAIM BY NEWSOM’S WIFE ABOUT INMATES AT VIOLENT CALIFORNIA PRISON
“Do you think he was referring to you?” O’Donnell asked.
Norah O’Donnell on the new set of CBS Evening News with Norah ODonnell in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 16, 2022. (T.J. Kirkpatrick/CBS via Getty Images)
“I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all…stuff that has nothing to do with me,” Trump continued. “I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say, Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, ‘You know, I’ll do this interview and they’ll probably…’ I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things.”
O’Donnell interrupted to argue that she was quoting the alleged gunman’s words, but Trump continued to call her “disgraceful.”
“You shouldn’t be reading that on ’60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview,” Trump said.
NEWSOM TRIES TO GIVE TRUMP THE BIDEN TREATMENT, SAYS HE’S ‘NOT ALL THERE’
Trump’s “disgrace” comments garnered widespread attention online, including from Siebel Newsom, who said after the interview that the “culture of misogyny” exhibited by Trump “is on all of us, and it has to end.”
US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
“Add in rhetoric rooted in political division, amplified by a digital ecosystem that rewards outrage and misinformation, and this cultural norm of hate, othering, and misogyny becomes pervasive,” Siebel Newsom continued. “Behavior that should be challenged gets normalized; what should raise concern is amplified and cheered on. It’s no wonder we have a culture that normalizes dominance and aggression toward women and girls, which not only silences them but also leads to internalized misogyny in others.”
However, conservatives rallied around Trump.
“What’s really disgusting about this clip is Norah O’Donnell’s fake innocent surprise: ‘oh you think he was referring to you?’ She knows perfectly well that every day some fellow Democrat like Ted Lieu calls Trump a pedophile and rapist,” said New York Post columnist Miranda Devine in response to pushback on Trump’s interview comments.
“Their white supremacy lies ran out of steam so this is the new hoax. Rich from a party that protects illegal alien child molesters.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Norah O’Donnell may have reached the low point in disgusting and inhumane demagoguery disguised as journalism,” added former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “The idea that you would take the vicious dishonest and disgusting words of a would be killer who had been blocked by the Secret Service but would otherwise have killed a lot of people and you would dignify them by putting them on the air and asking the President of the United States to comment is about as destructive as anything a major reporter has done in a long time.”
Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, speaks during the third day of Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, on July 17, 2024. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Gingrich said O’Donnell “should be fired for demeaning her entire profession and being the mouthpiece of a would-be killer.”
-
Culture11 minutes agoBook Review: ‘Project Maven,’ by Katrina Manson
-
Lifestyle17 minutes agoStreet Style Look of the Week: A Work Wear Staple in Gentle Pastels
-
Education23 minutes agoGraduates Reset Ambitions in Pursuit of First Jobs
-
Technology29 minutes agoDJI’s new Mic Mini 2 adds colorful covers to help them blend in
-
World36 minutes agoCan King Charles save the ever-fracturing ‘special relationship’ after Trump anger at Starmer over Iran war?
-
Politics42 minutes agoRep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount
-
Health48 minutes agoPancreatic cancer patient Ben Sasse sees ‘massive’ tumor reduction with experimental new drug
-
Sports54 minutes agoPro wrestling star Steph De Lander reveals how colleague’s advice helped lead her to title triumph at ACW