Hilton chided Mahan for the comment: “You’ve got to be kidding me, Matt.”
Mahan responded that Hilton had visited San José last week to tour a tiny home community for people experiencing homelessness — part of a network of interim housing that Mahan has championed during his time as mayor.
“Last week, Steve came to see what’s working in our interim housing communities and our outreach model, and I don’t know what’s changed in the last week — it seems that it’s the fact that I jumped into this race,” Mahan said. “Frankly, that’s exactly [what’s] wrong with our politics … we denigrate ideas because of who had them.”
Swalwell and Porter have used the national platforms they built in Congress to leap above the crowded field, but neither has eclipsed 20% of the vote in public polling.
Porter missed Tuesday’s debate due to a scheduling issue, according to a campaign spokesperson. Swalwell was initially scheduled to participate but had to return to Washington, D.C., as the House voted on a government funding bill.
A Republican has not been elected statewide in California since 2006, and the party is coming off a resounding defeat in last year’s special election over Proposition 50. But as the only Republican on stage on Tuesday, Hilton seemed to delight in blaming Democrats in Sacramento for homelessness, unaffordable housing and high gas prices.
When Steyer advocated for importing gasoline as a way around California’s oil supply constraints, Hilton jumped in.
From left to right, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer and Tony Thurmond participate in the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (Laure Andrillon/AP Photo)
“Why don’t we use California gas?” he interjected, over jeers from the crowd.
As the only leading Democrats who have not served in state government or Congress, Steyer and Mahan have both sought to position their candidacies against “insiders” and “special interests.”
Steyer used his closing statement to nod to his support of a wealth tax on California’s billionaires — an idea opposed by most of the other Democrats in the race, including Mahan.
“Right now, the big tech CEOs are terrified about the idea of paying their fair share,” Steyer said. “And right now they’re supporting Matt.”
“Tom, I’ve got about three billion reasons not to trust your answer on that,” Mahan said.
