California voters across Marin County are gearing up for the upcoming governor debate. Eight top contenders will take the stage at Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium on April 28, with broadcasting and streaming reaching Bay Area households from San Rafael to Sausalito and beyond.
The forum, hosted by CBS in partnership with Pomona College and Asian Pacific American Public Affairs, comes just weeks before ballots go out for mail-in voting and the June 2 primary. For Marin residents in towns like Mill Valley, Tiburon, Novato, and Corte Madera, it’s a rare shot to hear how the candidates plan to tackle housing, transportation, wildfire prevention, and water resilience—those issues that hit home in the North Bay and Golden Gate communities.
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What to watch at the Pomona College debate
The debate runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and will air on CBS-owned California stations, including KPIX in the Bay Area. You can also catch live streams on CBS Bay Area, CBS News 24/7, and CBS’ YouTube channels.
Suzie Suh will host, guiding a panel of CBS journalists and a Pomona College professor as moderator. If you’re tuning in from San Anselmo, Fairfax, or Larkspur, expect the discussion to focus on statewide issues that really do affect Marin and Sonoma counties.
People in Marin’s cities and towns want to know how statewide policy shifts might ripple into local plans—housing growth near Marin foothills, transportation corridors like U.S. Route 101, and wildfire readiness up in the hills above Sausalito and Mill Valley. The Pomona stage is one of several national debates aiming to boost candidate visibility ahead of the primary.
Invited field and polling thresholds
The slate includes some familiar names in Bay Area politics. Candidates needed at least 1% support in recent polls from Emerson College and UC Berkeley IGS to qualify.
You’ll see Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, and Antonio Villaraigosa, plus Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton. CBS, Pomona College, and Asian Pacific American Public Affairs are teaming up to host, which really does reflect the collaborative spirit of Marin’s diverse communities.
- Xavier Becerra — Democrat
- Matt Mahan — Democrat
- Katie Porter — Democrat
- Tom Steyer — Democrat
- Tony Thurmond — Democrat
- Antonio Villaraigosa — Democrat
- Chad Bianco — Republican
- Steve Hilton — Republican
This Pomona event follows an earlier forum featuring the top six polling candidates and comes after Rep. Eric Swalwell stepped aside amid allegations he denies. The goal is to sharpen the contrast on statewide concerns—from climate adaptation to infrastructure funding—and to press candidates on issues that shape Marin’s daily life, whether you’re commuting through San Francisco–to–Marin County corridors or organizing wildfire mitigation in Fairfax and neighborhoods near Mount Tamalpais.
Where to watch and how this lands in Marin
Marin County households can tune in via KPIX and Bay Area streams. Coverage keeps pace with the region’s connectivity needs, from digital access in Novato to cable in Sausalito.
The debate lands just as early voting and vote-by-mail start in May. That timing will spark local conversations in places like Ross, San Anselmo, and Tiburon, as residents hash out how statewide plans could shape housing density, school funding, and coastal resilience near the San Francisco Bay.
For Marin’s journalists and civic groups, the Pomona event becomes a touchstone for reporting on how candidates see California’s future. There’s a lot at stake for communities from Larkspur to Point Reyes Station.
The broader debate landscape and what comes next
After Pomona, the national debate circuit heats up in May. CNN will host a two-hour debate on May 5 with a 3% polling threshold in two recent polls.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 will host another Bay Area–aired debate on May 6, using a 5% threshold in two polls, with the final lineup set by May 1. This staggered schedule means Marin voters along the Caltrain and 101 corridors will get a steady stream of candidate appearances as the June primary draws closer.
The Pomona forum fits right into that rhythm, coming after a big Bay Area forum that sparked plenty of discussion about policy and accountability in a race stretching from San Rafael to Santa Rosa.
Timelines for Marin voters
As you plan your ballot, here are key dates that matter to Marin residents from Mill Valley to Novato:
- May: Ballots start showing up in mailboxes. Early voting opens up, so check your Marin County ballot drop-off options in San Anselmo or Corte Madera.
- June 2: California holds its primary. The top two finishers move on to the November runoff, no matter their party—this could shake up how Marin tackles wildfire risk and transit with San Francisco.
In the coming weeks, Marin County’s towns—from Sausalito’s waterfront to Belvedere’s hillsides and Fairfax’s wine country to San Rafael’s busy corridors—will keep a close eye on things. The Pomona debate brings statewide issues right to Marin’s doorstep: housing, climate resilience, and whether California’s next governor will actually work with Bay Area leaders to keep the North Coast connected and safe.
Here is the source article for this story: California governor’s race: How to watch Tuesday night’s televised debate
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