Overview
- Seven candidates took the stage at San Francisco’s Ruth Williams Bayview Opera House in a Black Action Alliance forum broadcast by FOX 11 and KTVU.
- Homelessness, housing costs, crime, immigration and affordability dominated, with several Democrats invoking roughly $24 billion in state homelessness spending to fault Gavin Newsom’s results.
- San José Mayor Matt Mahan, a late entrant, drew pointed scrutiny from rivals including Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer as he sought to introduce himself to a statewide audience.
- Candidates split over a proposed billionaire wealth tax, with Steyer supporting the measure and several others, including Mahan, opposing it.
- Campaign reports showed Steyer raised about $28.9 million, largely from his own funds, spent roughly $26 million, and added a $9.3 million contribution after the debate, while Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter and Chad Bianco skipped the event.