5 key moments from California gubernatorial debate

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California governor primary debate 

Another House vacancy 

Anthropic case amicus brief 

The top six remaining candidates running for governor of California faced off Wednesday as the primary rapidly approaches and no candidate has emerged as a clear front-runner. 

The debate, hosted by NewsNation and The Hill’s parent company Nexstar, came less than two weeks after the race was rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct against former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who had been leading the Democratic field until he dropped out of the race. 

The contenders took jabs at each other Wednesday evening as they tried to pick up support from the many voters who remain undecided in the race. 

Here’s six top moments from the night. 

Democrats agree to back whoever advances 

All four Democrats on stage committed to supporting any Democrat who advances to the general election to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 

“Let me put it to you this way, if there’s a Republican in the race, that Republican will be supported by and also supporting Donald Trump,” billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said. 

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said California needs the “best person” who will fight for the state on issues including housing and health care and can stand up to Trump. He said he will support the Democrat who does so. 

California’s top-two electoral system has all candidates compete on the same ballot in the primary regardless of party, with the two best performers advancing to the general election. 

Hilton dismisses idea of 2 Republicans advancing 

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton brushed off the possibility that he and the other main Republican in the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could take both spots in the general election — even as Democrats have worried about that possibility. 

With the Democratic candidates largely splitting the vote in the heavily Democratic state, many polls have shown Hilton and Bianco ahead of the pack, which could force voters to choose between them in November. 

But the polls have also shown many voters remain undecided, enough to put one Democrat at least in the top two as the primary gets closer. 

Hilton, who is endorsed by President Trump, said he would support a Republican in the general election even if it’s not him, saying the state needs “some balance in our system” after years of Democratic leadership. 

Becerra pressed on Swalwell scandal 

Swalwell didn’t dominate the debate much in the aftermath of the scandal that doomed his candidacy, but Becerra’s first question of the night was about his former colleague. 

Becerra, who has seen a jump in support after Swalwell’s exit, served as House Democratic Caucus chair when Swalwell first joined Congress. 

Becerra was asked about rumors floating around about Swalwell years before he was publicly accused of misconduct. 

He touted his efforts going after sex trafficking as state attorney general but said the talk about Swalwell was just that until accusations were made. 

“You hear rumors all the time about all sorts of things. Rumors are not facts and the caucus, the Democratic caucus, is not a place that adjudicates those things. It’s law enforcement that does,” he said. 

Porter addresses criticism of management style 

Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) sought to defuse concerns about her leadership style in the aftermath of multiple viral videos showing her berating a staffer and a reporter. 

“I apologized that day to that staffer four years ago, and I took responsibility then, and I have taken responsibility since, acknowledging that it was not the right way to treat someone,” she said. “And that is a big contrast to what we have seen other candidates do when they have been called out for misconduct.” 

The videos shook up the race when they went public, as Porter was leading her fellow Democrats in several polls before then. She has since fallen back a few points, even with or slightly behind Steyer and Becerra. 

“All of my accomplishments have come from my team, and I would say that if somebody is treating you rudely, you should speak up. And that’s what I would want my children to do,” Porter said. 

Dems grade Newsom on homelessness 

Candidates were asked to grade the outgoing governor on his handling of the one of the top issues facing the state — homelessness. 

The candidates’ responses were split largely on party lines, with the Democratic contenders giving Newsom no worse a score than a B and the Republicans handing him an F. 

Becerra gave Newsom the highest score, saying he would give him an A for effort. He said he would want to focus more on accountability, ensuring the money being spent on the problem is producing results. 

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan mostly took the opportunity to tout his efforts addressing homelessness in his city. After pressing from the moderators, he gave Newsom a B for the programs he has implemented while giving a D to those implementing them. 

The moment came as Newsom’s shadow still looms large in the primary as the governor hasn’t made any endorsement in the race. 

▪ The Hill: Takeaways from the debate. 

Four Republican senators voted against an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to instruct the Senate Rules Committee to find a way to add the core elements of the SAVE America Act to a budget reconciliation package that could pass next month with a simple-majority vote. 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) is vowing to appeal after a circuit court filed an injunction blocking the commonwealth’s redistricting ballot measure, less than a day after voters narrowly approved it. The battle could eventually end up at the Virginia Supreme Court. 

Kalshi has suspended three political candidates from its platform for betting on their own races. All three have been fined and prohibited from using the platform for five years. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) takes questions at a news conference following a closed-door GOP meeting at the Capitol in Washington, April 21, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press)

BREATHING ROOM: House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) narrow House majority got a little more room Wednesday as Washington mourned the passing of Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who died at age 80 after more than 20 years serving in Congress.  

First elected in 2002, Scott was the first Black lawmaker to serve as chair of the House Agriculture Committee. Scott was praised as a trailblazer by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. 

His death marks the second vacancy of a Democratic-held seat in two days following the resignation Tuesday of former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who faced ethical controversies and rising momentum for her expulsion. 

That leaves the House with 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and one independent — Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.), who caucuses with the GOP. Five seats are vacant, four of which became open in the past 10 days. 

The openings are key as congressional Republicans are seeking to push through legislation to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies is making its way through the Senate, and Johnson is facing pressure from all sides as he insists on passing that bill before another one to cover the other parts of DHS, The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi reports. 

Republicans can afford to lose two of their own members on party-line votes, presuming Kiley votes with the GOP and all members are in attendance. 

Special elections could fill some of the vacancies, but even if they happen before the November elections, the seats still won’t be filled for months. 

That may ultimately be key in reopening DHS and on other initiatives, including the effort to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 

▪ The Hill: House clamors for ethics reforms after resignations. 

▪ The Hill: Negotiators hope for FISA deal. 

NEXT TALKS? The next peace talks with Iran could come as soon as Friday following Trump’s announcement of an indefinite extension of the ceasefire. 

Trump told the New York Post on Wednesday that the next round of meetings could happen in the next 36 to 72 hours. 

The second round of negotiations had been set to take place Wednesday as a last-ditch effort to reach a permanent end to the conflict before the expiration of a two-week ceasefire. But Trump said he would extend the ceasefire until discussions are concluded “one way or the other.” 

The planned meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, was called off, while the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will continue. 

Trump seems to have moved into a holding pattern as he tries to find an off-ramp for the war that would allow him to claim victory, The Hill’s Laura Kelly and Mallory Wilson report. 

The ceasefire’s continuation got off to a rough start as Iran attacked and seized multiple cargo ships in the strait. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News the U.S. did not believe the seizures were a violation of the truce. 

▪ The Hill: Republicans divided on whether to check Trump’s power. 

▪ The Washington Post: Clearing strait of mines could take six months. 

PENTAGON OUSTER: Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his position after just more than a year in the job. 

The Pentagon announced Phelan’s departure, with chief spokesperson Sean Parnell expressing gratitude for Phelan’s service in a statement. 

“We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Parnell said. 

An administration official told The Hill that Phelan was “asked to step down.” CNN reported that Phelan did not believe his ouster was coming from Trump, so went to the White House to confirm the president’s sign off.  

Trump was reportedly frustrated with the pace of shipbuilding under Phelan, a former investor and donor to Trump’s campaigns.  

Undersecretary Hung Cao, a Navy veteran and former Senate candidate, will serve as acting Navy secretary. 

Phelan is the latest high-ranking Pentagon official to be ousted as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out dozens of leaders in the department during his tenure. 

MORNING REPORT EXCLUSIVE: A right-leaning free-market advocacy group has filed an amicus brief supporting the AI company Anthropic in its lawsuit against the Trump administration after the president ordered that its products be blacklisted from use by federal agencies. 

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation argued in its brief that the administration’s actions violate Anthropic’s First Amendment rights and destabilize markets as AI technology is breaking new ground. 

Anthropic sued the Pentagon last month after officials labeled it a supply chain risk and directed all federal agencies to cut ties with the company. It followed a dispute over the terms of use of Anthropic’s AI model, Claude. 

Anthropic has insisted that the model not be used by the Pentagon for fully autonomous lethal weapons or to conduct mass surveillance on Americans, but the Defense Department has said it should be able to use the product for “all lawful purposes.” 

A federal judge sided with Anthropic against the supply chain risk designation, and the administration is appealing that ruling. 

The foundation’s brief makes it a relatively rare conservative group weighing in on Anthropic’s side.  

“This understandable point of view on the current limits of what AI ought to be used for is core First Amendment-protected expression,” the brief states. 

▪ The Hill: Anthropic becomes impossible for White House to ignore. 

RESCUE PLAN: The Trump administration is reportedly close to reaching a deal to provide a $500 million bailout for Spirit Airlines, which has filed bankruptcy twice in the past two years. 

The Wall Street Journal reported Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met Tuesday to form a plan to bring Spirit back from the brink of liquidation. 

The finance option would be in exchange for warrants to purchase up to 90 percent of the new entity, people familiar with the potential deal told Bloomberg. 

The reports come days after Trump pushed against a proposed merger between United and American Airlines and urged Spirit to be bought instead. 

“I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs. Maybe the federal government should help that one out. I told my people,” Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” 

▪ NPR: How the airline industry would be affected if Spirit is liquidated. 

The president will participate in executive time at 8 a.m. He will receive an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. and participate in signing time at 1:30 p.m. He will participate in a health care affordability event at 3 p.m. and participate in a policy meeting at 4:30 p.m. He will participate in a private dinner at 7:15 p.m. at the U.S. Institute of Peace. 

The House will convene at 9 a.m. 

The Senate is out today. 

Peyote growing in the wild on the 605 acres of land run by the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative, which is led by several members of the Native American Church, in Hebbronville, Texas, March 26, 2024. (Jessie Wardarski, Associated Press file)

PSYCHADELIC OPTIMISM: Advocates and researchers are hopeful a recent executive order from Trump loosening research restrictions on psychedelic medicine could shift how the government views the drugs, The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports. 

Research into psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine has been slow and difficult because of federal restrictions. 

Trump said the idea for his order came after a text from podcaster Joe Rogan, who reached out about research into ibogaine. 

The order directs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite its review of new treatments. It’s specifically intended to help veterans struggling with symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Advocates told Weixel they aren’t expecting widespread access for Americans who need urgent mental health treatments without further action. Researchers have been stymied even as studies have shown potential benefits of psychedelic drugs. 

But the order marks a new push from the federal government to open up more research into them. 

▪ The Hill: Iowa Republican zeroes in on birth control access. 

▪ The Hill: Clash over vaccine studies. 

A woman smokes on a street in London on April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, , Associated Press file)

SMOKING BAN: The U.K. Parliament has approved legislation that will eventually prohibit people from buying cigarettes. 

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill bans children born after Dec. 31, 2008, from ever purchasing the product. The legislation will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavors and packaging. 

The bill needs approval from King Charles III before going into effect, but this is a formality. 

Selling cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to people younger than 18 is currently illegal in the U.K., but the minimum age will continually rise, resulting in most youths facing a lifetime ban. The law will give the U.K. some of the toughest antismoking policies in the world. 

New Zealand approved a similar ban in 2022, but it was later repealed. 

The number of people in the U.K. who smoke has dropped by two-thirds since the 1970s, but about 13 percent of the population still smokes. Officials say smoking causes about 80,000 deaths per year in the country. 

“Children in the U.K. will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting said. 

▪ Time: What to know about the generational smoking ban. 

No, Péter Magyar is not just a warmed-over Viktor Orbán, Lili Anna Lempek writes in The Hill. 

What a child’s drawing teaches us about war, then and now, Sera Koulabdara writes in The Hill. 

A plate with photos of late Queen Elizabeth II is on display for sale at a souvenirs shop in London, on April 17, 2026. (Kin Cheung, Associated Press)

And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the weekly news quiz! 

Wednesday marked the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, so this week’s quiz will test your knowledge about her and her reign. 

Why was Elizabeth considered unlikely to become British monarch at her birth? 

2. She was not her father’s oldest child

3. Her father also wasn’t expected to become the monarch 

4. She was significantly far back in the line of succession

How many prime ministers did Elizabeth formally appoint during her reign? 

Who is the only monarch of a sovereign state who served longer than Elizabeth? 

1. Rama IX of Thailand

2. Emperor Hirohito of Japan

3. Johann II of Liechtenstein

4. Louis XIV of France

Which jubilee did the U.K. celebrate for Elizabeth marking the 70th year of her rule shortly before her death? 

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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