Seven Democratic candidates vying to become California's next governor will face off Sunday in the first major debate since Vice President Kamala Harris announced she would not seek the state's top office.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers Governor Candidate Forum begins at 10 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport, marking a pivotal moment in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom eight months before the June 2 primary election.
The 90-minute forum, hosted in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum, will feature questions from a panel of independent journalists. Associated Press correspondent Lisa Matthews will moderate, joined by Los Angeles Times California politics editor Phil Willon, Spectrum News 1 SoCal anchor Amrit Singh, and Politico senior California reporter Melanie Mason.
Viewers can watch the forum live on the NUHW YouTube page and latimes.com, with Spanish simulcast available. Spectrum will air the forum at times to be announced.
Following the forum, NUHW members attending in person and watching online statewide will vote on the union's political endorsement for the gubernatorial race.
The forum continues NUHW's tradition of hosting early debates in major California races. Last September, four of the then-five announced candidates appeared on the NUHW stage in San Francisco. In 2023, the union hosted the first U.S. Senate debate featuring Representatives Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee in Los Angeles.
In 2017, NUHW sponsored the first debate in the governor's race that Newsom ultimately won, bringing together then-State Treasurer John Chiang, former State Superintendent Delaine Eastin, then-Lt. Governor Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Anaheim.
The audience will comprise NUHW members representing California's diverse workforce, including psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, nursing assistants, clerical workers, janitors, technicians and social workers from across the state.
"NUHW members want to know the candidates' positions on health care, including mental health parity, affordable housing, immigration, transportation, education and workers' rights," said Sal Rosselli, NUHW's president emeritus, who directs the union's political campaigns. "Our members also are anxious to know how the next governor will push back against the extreme policies being pursued by the Trump administration."
The forum represents the race's shift into high gear as candidates compete for California's highest elected office.
Edited by SMDP Staff