Overview
- Xavier Becerra led the crowded field after Wednesday's Emerson/Inside California Politics poll showed him at 19% support, with Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer at 17% each.
- A KTLA interview published Tuesday opened with Becerra asking if it was a “profile” and “not a gotcha piece,” then disputing a claim about 85,000 migrant children and asking whether the reporter had “talking points from Donald Trump.”
- The exchange drew quick pushback from rivals and commentators, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan cut the clip into an ad and KTLA’s reporter said her experience with Becerra differed from interviews with Tom Steyer and Chad Bianco.
- Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas declined Tuesday to endorse any candidate, saying he was “agnostic” about the race and would not judge a former Cabinet colleague’s performance.
- California’s top-two system advances the two highest vote-getters regardless of party, which keeps Democrats focused on vote-splitting risk as ballots are out and Republicans vie for one of the November slots.