Seven leading candidates in California's governor's race met Tuesday night for a two-hour debate hosted by CNN in Monterey Park, the first such forum to air before a national audience. The event came as mail ballots have already begun arriving in households across the state ahead of the June 2 nonpartisan primary, lending urgency to a contest that multiple analysts described as too close to call.

Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden, emerged as the primary target of attacks from candidates across both parties, reflecting his recent surge in polling following the implosion of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's campaign amid sexual assault and harassment allegations, which Swalwell denies. Becerra, who had been polling in low single digits before Swalwell's exit, has since risen to tie Republican Steve Hilton for first place in the latest California Democratic Party survey. Rivals, including billionaire Tom Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, attacked Becerra over a scandal in which campaign aides have been accused of diverting campaign funds, as well as allegations that he lost track of millions of migrant children during his tenure as health secretary; Becerra denied wrongdoing on both counts.

Hilton, a former Fox News host and one-time director of strategy to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, argued that California requires new leadership after what he called 16 years of one-party Democratic rule. All five Democratic candidates on the stage directed sharp criticism at Trump, blaming his administration for high gas prices, immigration enforcement actions targeting California, and rollbacks of climate policy. Villaraigosa, who sits at just 2 percent in the latest party poll, drew notice for a notably sharper performance, pressing Hilton on his refusal to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.

California operates under a jungle primary system in which the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation, a format that had raised Democratic concerns about vote-splitting allowing two Republicans onto the general election ballot. A recent California Democratic Party survey showed the share of undecided voters had fallen from 24 percent in early April to 14 percent, suggesting the field may be consolidating. With ballots already in circulation, candidates have limited time to shift standings before the June 2 primary deadline.