Overview
- CNN, which announced the event Monday, set a 3% polling bar in two qualifying surveys and a $1 million fundraising minimum, with the poll window closing April 27.
- The two-hour debate starts at 6 p.m. PT in the Los Angeles area, will air on CNN, and will be moderated by Elex Michaelson and Kaitlan Collins, with the exact venue still to be named.
- Eight candidates currently meet CNN’s thresholds, including Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Eric Swalwell, and Antonio Villaraigosa.
- A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found Bianco and Hilton leading in a fractured field where many voters remain undecided.
- President Trump endorsed Hilton on Monday, a move that could affect Republican consolidation as Democrats weigh how a crowded slate might split votes under the state’s top-two rules.