Misryoum reports CBS News California is rolling out an interactive candidate guide for the 2026 governor’s race, pairing issue-by-issue comparisons with an upcoming high-profile debate.
A new interactive voter guide is set to debut just as California’s 2026 governor’s race grows more crowded and competitive.
Misryoum News California Investigates says its California Governor’s Race Candidate Guide is designed to help voters cut through the noise of a large field by comparing candidates’ policy answers side by side, issue by issue, and in full-length form.
The guide compiles more than 20 hours of interviews with top-polling candidates. presenting responses in an interactive format that lets users select specific contenders and read extended answers to standardized questions.. The release comes ahead of an April 28 gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS-owned California stations in partnership with the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA) and Pomona College—an event Misryoum expects to feature one of the biggest candidate lineups in the current election cycle.
Candidates listed for the April 28 debate include Democrats Xavier Becerra. Matt Mahan. Katie Porter. Tom Steyer. Tony Thurmond. and Antonio Villara-gosa. along with Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.. Misryoum also understands the guide is meant to complement that live exchange by offering a deeper. on-demand way to review candidates’ positions beyond the limits of debate time.
Debates can compress complex policy into sound bites, often forcing candidates to pick between clarity and brevity.. The Misryoum framework behind this guide is to give voters a way to follow the thread of a question—then see how each candidate answers it in more detail. including responses that can be paired across contenders.. By allowing viewers to compare answers to the same prompts and follow-up questions. the tool aims to illuminate not only what candidates say. but also how they handle pressure and scrutiny in real time.
The interview coverage is organized around more than a dozen issues that Misryoum says were identified by viewers. policymakers. and community leaders.. The topics include homelessness. housing affordability. gas prices and environmental policy. immigration. health care for undocumented immigrants. and public safety—along with how candidates propose to fund crime and related services.. The guide also addresses California’s ongoing insurance crisis. a policy area that has grown increasingly difficult for many residents across the state.
Misryoum notes that the human value of an issue-by-issue guide is practical: it changes how voters prepare.. Instead of relying on scattered clips or campaign claims, voters can check candidates’ stated priorities directly and revisit them later.. That matters in a statewide race where local concerns—cost of living. housing access. safety. and services—often collide with abstract ideological debates.
Misryoum also sees a strategic shift in how campaigns and media platforms may interact.. As more elections become “digital-first,” tools like this can reshape expectations for transparency.. Candidates may find that the same policies they discuss in public will be judged against comparable. standardized questions and longer responses—reducing the advantage of message discipline that typically benefits the most rehearsed communicators.
The guide is being led by CBS News California Investigates correspondent Julie Watts. who moderated an APAPA educational gubernatorial forum in 2025 and conducted interviews that Misryoum says eventually expanded to include 15 candidates. with eight of them having active campaigns and expected to appear on the ballot.. Those eight candidates were invited to participate in the April 28 debate, tying the live event to the on-demand guide.
Misryoum says CBS News California plans to use the tool during the debate broadcast. with anchors directing viewers to the guide at CBSNews.com/CAgov.. The aim. according to Misryoum’s reporting. is a two-part experience: a live broadcast featuring real-time exchanges among candidates. followed by an interactive component that lets audiences explore the issues at their own pace and compare how contenders respond when time is no longer the limiting factor.