California 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Debates (various dates)

California 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Debates (various dates)

clip art of black woman and blond man at podiums
Type: 
News
Watch these debates to learn more about the candidates running for California Governor in the June 2026 Primary Election!
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Wednesday, April 22, at 7 pm

2026 California Gubernatorial Debate from KRON4

Nexstar’s California television stations are hosting a live debate between candidates for California Governor on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. The debate will originate from KRON4 Studios in San Francisco and will be broadcast on six Nexstar television stations across the state, including KRON4 in San Francisco, KTLA5 in Los Angeles, Fox5/KUSI in San Diego, Fox40 in Sacramento, KGET17 in Bakersfield, and KSEE24/CBS47 in Fresno. The debate will be livestreamed on The Hill and NewsNationNow.com.

The debate will be moderated by Nikki Laurenzo (host of “Inside California Politics,” and news anchor at Fox40 in Sacramento) and Frank Buckley (veteran morning news anchor at KTLA5 in Los Angeles).

Candidates earning at least 5% support in Nexstar’s March statewide poll and meeting Nexstar’s other criteria for participation will get an invite to be on stage answering questions.
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Tuesday April 28 at 5:30 pm

2026 California Gubernatorial Debate at Pomona College

Pomona College will host a debate between the top candidates for California governor on Tuesday, April 28. The 90-minute debate, scheduled for 5:30 p.m., will offer viewers and voters a discussion of the major issues facing the state. Candidates will be invited based on polling and fundraising from both political parties. CBS stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno and Santa Barbara will broadcast and stream the debate.
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A CNN SPECIAL EVENT: The California Governor Primary Debate
Tuesday, May 5 at 6:00 pm

California Governor Primary Debate CNN

CNN Anchors Elex Michaelson and Kaitlan Collins will serve as moderators. 

The debate will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and streaming for subscribers. Beginning May 6, the debate will be available on demand to CNN’s streaming subscribers and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.   

Candidates will have to meet criteria related to campaign finances and polling to earn an invitation to the debate, according to CNN.

For more useful information, go to VOTE411! 
Vote411 is the League’s one-stop-shop to find details about the candidates and all the information you need to cast your ballot. It's online, easy to use, nonpartisan, and available in both English and Spanish. 

Also see California Primary Election (6/2/26) for information about voting in the primary and about how the primary election works. 

This article is related to which committees: 
LWV Diablo Valley Voter Services Committee
League to which this content belongs: 
Diablo Valley