Just days before ballots get sent to voters’ mailboxes, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Fox News host Steve Hilton took to the stage Wednesday night in what’s likely to be the only governor’s race debate between the two remaining candidates.

Becerra, a Democrat, and Hilton, a Republican, emerged as the top picks in the June election, following a chaotic and contentious primary with 61 candidates on the ballot. Becerra has been leading in recent polls, including the latest survey from the Public Policy Institute of California, which found that 60% of likely voters would vote for Becerra, compared to 38% for Hilton.

During the debate, which was hosted by CNN, Becerra frequently highlighted Hilton’s ties to President Donald Trump, who has endorsed the Republican candidate.

“You’re going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton’s plans,” Becerra said.

Meanwhile, Hilton continued his pitch to end what he refers to as the 16 years of “one party rule” in the state as a Republican has not held the governorship since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“It’s time to try something different, not least to reduce the cost of living,” Hilton said.

Here’s what the candidates had to say about the issues:

How many homes will the next governor build?

Gov. Gavin Newsom famously made a pledge on the 2018 campaign trail that he would build 3.5 million homes as governor, though the state, under his leadership, has fallen far short of that goal. When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper how much housing would be constructed if they were elected to the governorship, both candidates declined to answer.

Hilton announced a new plan during the debate to cap government fees at $50,000 per home. He also pledged to build 10 new cities so that cities “stop forcing apartment buildings into suburban areas” and the state can expand its housing stock.

“Instead of Sacramento forcing this onto communities, our communities will build the housing that meets their needs,” he said.

Becerra said that California needs to “at least double the rate of building a month” in order to start closing the housing gap, but it depends on just how much they can do.

“How much red tape can we cut?” he said. “How fast can we try to expand down payment assistance programs? How fast can we make sure Wall Street isn’t outbidding the teacher or the firefighter for a home in California?”

Becerra also said that he will continue to enforce to enforce state housing laws like he did when he served as the attorney general.

AI and data centers

Following Trump’s announcement earlier this week that several executives of artificial intelligence companies signed an agreement that he described as “self policing,” CNN’s Dana Bash asked whether “the companies can be trusted to police themselves.”

Hilton said that California should “lead the regulation” of the AI industry and called for an immediate pause on using AI in the classroom.

“I want to make sure that the priority for these companies is safety…whether that’s done by them or we need regulation, we’ll see how quickly they act on the promises they’ve made,” he said.

Becerra bristled at his opponent's answer and alleged that Hilton is “not interested in regulating AI.”

“He’s not interested in telling these companies you have to protect, not just our kids and not just in school, you have to protect our workers before looking at the prospect of losing their jobs to AI,” Becerra said.

As data centers become a political flash point in cities across the country, Bash also asked whether the candidates would impose limits on new data centers.

Becerra said he would, but did not specify what those would look like. Instead, he said he would “work with local communities” on the issue.

“If it doesn’t benefit them, if they don’t see it as an investment in their community, if all you’re going to do is rob their energy, electricity and their water, that’s not a good deal,” he said. “But if someone wants to come in and build a data center that creates more jobs in the community, adds more energy to our grid … then let’s talk.”

Immigration

As Trump continues with his crackdown on immigrants living in the country illegally, Hilton and Becerra debated the role the state should play in federal immigration enforcement. California currently bars law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, but allows it if it involves an individual who has committed a violent crime.

Hilton, who was born in the United Kingdom and is the son of Hungarian immigrants, said that he wants to “lower the temperature” on the issue and “prioritize the removal of dangerous criminals.”

“That is not happening in California today and that’s because they’re playing politics with the issue instead of protecting public safety,” he said.

Becerra said that he’s fought his whole life to make life better for immigrants in California and accused Hilton of welcoming “ICE mercenaries” into the state.

“Here’s the problem I have with your policies,” Becerra said. “You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me.”

Hilton, in return, said that people want to hear solutions to their problems and not political attacks.

“All you’ve got is to talk about your federal politics, all you ever say is ‘Trump, Trump, Trump,'” Hilton said. “That’s nothing but an insult to every Californian who is desperate for something to change in this state and all you’re offering is more of the same.”

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