(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By City News Service and Spectrum News Staff Burbank

BURBANK, Calif. — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off in a televised debate in Burbank later this month, CNN announced Tuesday.

The one-hour debate will be held Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. at CNN’s studios in Burbank, with network anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash serving as moderators, according to the network.

Becerra, a former U.S. secretary of health and human services and California attorney general, and Hilton, a former Fox News host, advanced from a crowded field of candidates in the June primary election. They are seeking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is barred by term limits from seeking another term.

To qualify for the debate, candidates were required to meet California secretary of state requirements, raise, contribute or loan at least $1 million to their gubernatorial campaigns and receive at least 15% support among registered or likely voters in two polls meeting CNN’s standards, network officials said.

Hilton has focused his campaign in part on affordability and the cost of living in California while calling for reductions in government bureaucracy.

Becerra has emphasized his experience in government, including his tenure in former President Joe Biden’s Cabinet. He previously served as California’s attorney general and represented the Los Angeles area in Congress.

The Nov. 3 election will determine California’s first new governor since Newsom took office in 2019.

A Republican has not been elected governor of California since Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term in 2006. President Donald Trump lost California by more than 20 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

Early voting and ballot drop-off locations for the Nov. 3 general election are scheduled to become available Oct. 5, according to Secretary of State Shirley Weber.