Overview
- Seven candidates debated at San Francisco’s Ruth Williams Bayview Opera House in a Black Action Alliance event televised by KTVU FOX 2 and KTTV FOX 11.
- Late entrant San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan drew sustained attacks from rivals on homelessness and taxes as he defended his city’s approach and criticized a wealth‑tax push.
- Democrats on stage pressed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s record on homelessness, repeatedly citing roughly $24 billion in state spending with limited measurable results, while showing broad support for Proposition 36’s treatment‑centered provisions.
- Affordability proposals spanned rent control and freezes on utility and insurance rates to zoning reforms and refinery rule changes, and candidates split over the 2035 ban on new gas‑car sales.
- Tom Steyer maintained a substantial self‑funded cash edge with heavy ad buys, and notable absences included Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter and Chad Bianco, all citing scheduling conflicts ahead of the June 2 top‑two primary.