Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct KQED’s stated selection criteria for its gubernatorial town halls. An earlier version incorrectly said KQED referenced an Emerson College poll from mid-March. KQED’s press release said the two polls it referenced: Emerson College Polling and the Public Policy Institute of California, were both released in February.
KQED is turning its San Francisco studios into a political hot seat this May, hosting a trio of town hall-style conversations with some of the biggest names in California’s crowded 2026 governor’s race. Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter is slated for May 4, Rep. Eric Swalwell for May 13 and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for May 18, all at the station’s Mission Bay headquarters. Seats in the room will be limited to KQED members and invited civic and community groups, while the wider public will be able to watch and listen remotely.
According to a press release from KQED, the events will be hosted by the station’s Political Breakdown team, livestreamed on the KQED News and KQED Live YouTube channels, and later broadcast on KQED 9 public television, KQED public radio and the Political Breakdown podcast feeds. KQED said it invited the top four contenders identified in two major public polls released in February, and that Steve Hilton’s campaign declined to take part. The station is pitching the series as substantive, audience-driven conversations on housing, the economy, climate and immigration.
How the lineup was chosen
KQED invited the top four candidates leading in two major public polls released in February: Emerson College Polling and the Public Policy Institute of California. According to those polls, the top four included Steve Hilton, Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter and Chad Bianco, and Hilton’s campaign declined the invitation.
Why it matters now
California voters are staring down a fast-approaching primary calendar, with the state’s top-two contest scheduled for June 2, 2026. That timing means these May town halls could be among the last chances for many voters to hear extended, unscripted conversations with leading contenders before ballots begin landing in mailboxes, according to the California Secretary of State. Community organizations and local journalists often rely on forums like these to press would-be governors on statewide decisions and how those choices ripple through neighborhoods.
How to watch and register
KQED says member tickets for in-person seats at The Commons are free, and members can reserve spots online. The broader public will be able to tune in via livestream. For details and to claim a member ticket, visit KQED Live. Community groups interested in attending as invited guests are encouraged to contact KQED directly about partnership opportunities.
