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None of the Democratic candidates running to replace outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom gave him below a “B-minus” grade on combating homelessness — a moment that Republicans sharing the debate stage on Wednesday evening called a laughable evaluation of the state’s problem.
“My goodness, of course it’s an F,” Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, said.
“It shames our state, the situation with homelessness. We have about 10% of the U.S. population, around 50% of the country’s homeless,” he continued.
The moment forced the four Democratic candidates to weigh in on efforts to unwind a crisis that has only worsened in recent years despite billions in funding. It also highlighted a reluctance among Democrats to critique Newsom, who has yet to make an endorsement in the race.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom, left, pictured alongside a homeless encampment, right (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“I’m a notoriously tough grader, but I would probably give him a B on homelessness,” Katie Porter, a former Democratic congresswoman, said.
“I don’t think this has been an easy problem to solve, but I do give him a lot of credit for calling attention to the problem.”
Tom Steyer, a billionaire-businessman-turned candidate, put Newsom’s performance in the same ballpark.
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“So I’d give the governor a B-minus on this,” Steyer said.
But one other Democrat, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, made the case that the grade was too low, citing Newsom’s “effort.”
“I would say that the governor has made efforts. We’ve seen him come down to Los Angeles, actually go out and try to clean some of these streets. On effort, I would give him an A,” Becerra said.
Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter appear during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. (Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg – Pool/Getty Images)
California reported 161,400 people had experienced homelessness on any given night in 2024, according to the California State Senate Housing Committee.
The numbers are higher than when Newsom took office in January 2019.
That year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development put California’s homeless population at 108,400 — 32% less than levels in 2024.
The persistently high rates have thwarted billions in funding to bring the numbers down. California has spent roughly $20 billion on homeless initiatives from 2019 to 2025, according to the California Budget and Policy Center, a left-leaning think tank.
In a 2023 debate with Newsom on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis famously illustrated the acuteness of the homelessness problem by holding up a map of San Francisco, detailing over 270,000 reported instances of feces found on the streets of the city, which was dubbed the “poop map” on social media.
To Republican candidate Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff, it’s clear the problem has nothing to do with money.
“It is an absolute dismal failure and anyone that says it’s not is fooling themselves — or trying to fool voters,” Bianco said.
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A homeless person clears rubbish at a homeless camp on a sidewalk in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 6, 2025. (Qian Weizhong/VCG)
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“We are not dealing with homeless, so stop calling it homeless. It has nothing to do with homes. These people are suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness,” he added.
California will hold its gubernatorial primary on June 2. The top two candidates will advance to the general election on Nov. 3, according to the California Secretary of State.
