'Clmate, Antonio': The most fiery moments from the governor's debate

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The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.Former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer, both Democratic frontrunners, were primary targets of the political attacks — Becerra for his record as U.S.Health and Human Services secretary and Steyer over his past investments, including in private prisons that housed immigrant detainees.San José Mayor Matt Mahan started off the debate by lashing out at both Republicans and Democrats.

“We do not need the leadership that MAGA candidates on this stage are offering that’s divisive.We don’t need the leadership of a billionaire who’s now against everything he made his money in, or a career politician who has failed again and again to deliver results,” Mahan said, taking shots at conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Steyer and Becerra, respectively.Mahan had good reason to go on the attack.

The moderate Democrat has struggled to meet early expectations that he would emerge as a top-tier candidate.The California Democratic Party’s latest poll, released Monday, showed Hilton and Becerra tied at 18%, and Bianco, a Republican, with 14%.Steyer received the backing of 12%, while support for the other top Democrats in the race — former Orange County Rep.

Katie Porter, Mahan, former L.A.Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Supt.

of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — were in the single digits.Thurmond did not meet the polling threshold to qualify for the televised debates this week.In a tense exchange on immigration and the state’s sanctuary laws, Porter said, “We ought to enforce our sanctuary laws everywhere so we don’t have crazy cowboys taking the law into their own hands.” It was a shot at Bianco, who has c...