Start youur engines: This is when the race to become California’s next Governor truly begins.
In first major debate or forum since Kamala Harris announced she wasn’t running, Democratic contenders to face off Sunday, September 28, 2025, in Los Angeles
Announced candidates will appear on the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) stage to take questions from a panel of independent journalists. The NUHW Governor Candidate Forum held in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum, can be viewed on Spectrum, and live on NUHW’s YouTube Page and the L.A. Times website and will be simulcast in Spanish.
NUHW members in the audience and viewing online from across the state will vote on the union’s political endorsement following the conclusion of the forum.
LOS ANGELES — The race to succeed Gavin Newsom moves into high gear on Sunday, September 28, at the NUHW Governor Candidate Forum, eight months prior to the June 2 primary. Top Democrats campaigning to become California’s next governor will appear on stage beginning at 10 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. This is the first major debate or forum to be held among the declared Democratic contenders since Kamala Harris’ announcement that she would not run for California’s top elected post.
The candidates will take questions for 90 minutes from a panel of independent journalists. The panel will be moderated by the Associated Press’ Lisa Matthews and include Phil Willon, the Los Angeles Times California politics editor; Amrit Singh, news anchor of Spectrum News 1 SoCal; and Melanie Mason, Politico’s senior reporter covering California politics.
The September 28 forum, sponsored by the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) in partnership with the L.A. Times and Spectrum, can be viewed via livestream on latimes.com and the NUHW YouTube page, where it also will be simulcast in Spanish. Spectrum will air the forum at times to be announced later.
Who: Candidates seeking to become California’s 41st governor. A panel of independent journalists who will question the candidates. California healthcare workers from across the state will be the audience.
What: NUHW Governor Candidate Forum in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum
Where: Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport, 6225 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles
When: Sunday, September 28, 2025, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT
NUHW members in the audience and viewing online from across the state will vote on the union’s endorsement following the forum.
Last September, four of the five then-announced candidates faced off on the NUHW stage in San Francisco. The field of Democratic candidates now stands at seven.
In 2023, NUHW hosted the first debate in the U.S. Senate race with Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Barbara Lee taking questions from a panel of journalists. That forum, also held in Los Angeles, was hosted in conjunction with Roll Call, the newspaper covering Capitol Hill.
In 2017, NUHW hosted the first debate in the governor’s race that Gavin Newsom ultimately won. That year’s NUHW-sponsored forum was the first in-person joint appearance by Democratic gubernatorial candidates in a forum or debate format. Appearing on the NUHW stage in Anaheim was then-State Treasurer John Chiang; former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin; then-Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom; and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The audience for each of these events was composed of NUHW members who represent a cross section of California’s diverse population and workforce, including psychologists, pharmacists, nurses and nursing assistants, clerical workers, janitors, technicians, social workers, and many others. The union represents workers across California from the Mexican border to the Oregon state line.
“Wherever they live or work in California, NUHW members want to know the candidates’ positions and where they differ on health care, including mental health parity; they want to know their plans for affordable housing, immigration, transportation and education and their views on workers’ rights. Our members also are anxious to know how the next governor will push back against the extreme policies being pursued by the Trump administration,” said Sal Rosselli, NUHW’s President Emeritus, who is directing the union’s political and legislative campaigns. “We hope this year’s forum will provide those answers for our members and other California voters.”
