Five Democrats and two Republicans focused their messaging and attacks during a statewide televised San Francisco debate. Polls released earlier in the week showed Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton separated from other candidates, and they received most of the barbs. Hilton and fellow Republican Chad Bianco avoided criticizing each other, while Democrats attacked more directly, including among themselves. Becerra faced questions tied to a breaking news story involving a guilty plea by Dana Williamson, a former Newsom campaign manager, alleging a scheme to divert money from dormant Becerra campaign accounts to pay Becerra’s former chief of staff. Becerra admitted approving transfers but was cleared of wrongdoing. Hilton accused Becerra of being implicated in corruption and told him he should not be on the stage, while Becerra denied involvement in wrongdoing.
"Polls released earlier this week showed some separation of three candidates - Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton - from the others, and the trio were on the receiving end of most of the barbs at the CBS/San Francisco Examiner event televised statewide from the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom."
"Hilton and fellow Republican Chad Bianco continued to aavoid criticizing each other. The Democrats - who need at least one champion to be on the November ballot - didn't hesitate to go after each other."
"Katie Porter, Anthony Villagairosa, Matt Mahan and Steyer didn't hesitate to pile on when Hilton questioned Becerra's role in the case connected to today's guilty plea by Dana Williamson, former campaign manager for Gov. Gavin Newsom to charges that she assisted in a scheme to divert money from dormant Becerra campaign accounts to pay Becerra's former chief of staff. Becerra, who has admitted to approving the transfers, was cleared of any wrongdoing in the case."
"That didn't stop Hilton, who accused Becerra of being "implicated in a corruption scandal." "You shouldn't be on this stage, you shouldn't be in this race, you should be preparing for your criminal defense," Hiltont told Becerra. "I was not involved in any wrongdoing," countered the former state attorney general."
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