By Dave Mason
The Center Square

Democratic gubernatorial candidates during a forum Sunday favored continuing Medi-Cal benefits for illegal immigrants in California despite the $12.1 billion price tag for taxpayers.

And candidates expressed mixed feelings about Proposition 36, which strengthened prison sentences in certain theft and drug-related cases for repeat offenders. It was approved by nearly 70% of voters in 2024.

The forum at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport was organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers in partnership with media organizations and is part of the union’s Frontlines Leadership Conference. The program is streaming through Wednesday on YouTube, the union announced.

Union members will cast their ballots Thursday on which candidate to endorse, according to the NUHW.

A panel of journalists from various outlets asked questions of former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, who represented Orange County in Congress; current California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; former state Controller Betty Yee; Xavier Becerra, who is a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and former California attorney general; and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Absent were two Democratic candidates: Toni Atkins, a former state Senate president pro tem, and Diamond Resorts International founder Stephen J. Cloobeck. The NUHW previously announced Atkins would be there.

Atkins has withdrawn from the 2026 California gubernatorial race. She announced her withdrawal with a statement to her supporters, citing “no viable path forward to victory.”

The candidates at Sunday’s forum strongly agreed on continuing benefits from Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, for illegal immigrants.

“If we should ever encounter another public health pandemic, I would want to make sure that every person who’s here in this state has access to health care services,” Yee said.

The narrative saying illegal immigrants overuse Medi-Cal benefits is a myth, Yee said. But she added she would like to bring costs down through an independent audit to investigate “rampant fraud” by health care providers. She stressed the importance of providing safety nets in benefits for children and seniors.

“California has been down this ugly road before. It’s not that long ago that we denied health care to every person living in California,” Porter said. “We should not go back. …

“I support providing Medi-Cal and health coverage to every single Californian, regardless of immigration status,” she continued. “If they’re here, they’re working. They’re paying taxes. They’re contributing to our society. We benefit from them being healthy. And they can’t do that if they can’t access health care.”

Providing Medi-Cal coverage for illegal immigrants is good economics, Becerra argued, adding there’s enough money to cover the costs. He said it’s cheaper to pay for immigrants to get regular care from primary care physicians than to wait until they end up in hospital emergency rooms.

“We will not bend a knee to Donald Trump because he cut Medicare, Medi-Cal here in California,” said Becerra, the son of immigrants.

To continue benefits for illegal immigrants, the California Legislature budgeted $12.1 billion in June. At the same time, a poll from the Public Policy Institute of California showed 58% of respondents opposed the expenditure.

Candidates also stressed their support for building more housing to bring down purchase and rental costs. Villaraigosa said he supports streamlining permits to get more housing units built and addressing a broken California Environmental Quality Act system that makes developments impossible.

And candidates debated Proposition 36. Villaraigosa said he was the only Democratic gubernatorial candidate to support the measure that cracks down on certain repeat offenders for thefts and drug abuse, but Porter and Becerra quickly noted they backed it as well. Porter said she supported the law despite what she felt it lacked in treatment for drug abuse.

Thurmond said he opposed Prop. 36 despite the fact two of his cars were broken into and one car was stolen, from his driveway.

“You shouldn’t have to go to jail to get help for substance abuse,” he said, noting inmates have access to illegal drugs in jails.

“As governor, I will implement Proposition 36, but I will put more money into treatment for substance abuse and diversion programs for minor crimes,” Thurmond said. “You shouldn’t spend your whole life in jail for a minor crime you committed.”

On another law enforcement issue, Villaraigosa said he would extend termed-out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on the death penalty in murder cases.

“I don’t believe the state has the right to put people to death,” Villaraigosa said, noting that murder trials historically have not been fair to defendants who are poor and of color. But he added he favors long prison sentences for those convicted of murder and other serious crimes.

Becerra said he doesn’t believe the death penalty deters murders and noted some murder convicts were exonerated over time with further investigation. “You cannot underdo the mistake of a death penalty.”

But Democratic candidates said they would support the will of the people if voters approved the death penalty in a state initiative.

In addition to the Democrats, the gubernatorial race features two Republicans: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.

Under California law, the two candidates in the June 2, 2026 primary with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.