Gubernatorial hopefuls Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell and Chad Bianco will each engage with a live KQED audience as part of a series of conversations with the Political Breakdown team.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA; April 9, 2026 – In the race up to the June California primary election, KQED will be hosting a series of town hall-style conversations with three of the leading candidates to become the state’s next governor. Former U.S. Representative Katie Porter (May 4), U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (May 13), and Sheriff Chad Bianco (May 18) will each present their visions for California’s future under their leadership, guided by questions from a live audience at KQED’s San Francisco studios.
Hosted by KQED’s Political Breakdown team, each town hall will address the key issues on voters’ minds – from housing, the economy and tech to climate, immigration and the state’s relationship with the Trump administration. Attendance is limited to KQED members and invited civic and community organizations, creating a substantive forum for voter-driven dialogue.
The town halls will be livestreamed on the KQED News and KQED Live YouTube channels and aired on KQED 9 Public Television and KQED Public Radio in the days following each event, as well as on KQED’s Political Breakdown podcast feeds.
KQED invited the top four candidates leading in the two major public polls released in February: Emerson College Polling and Public Policy Institute of California. The top four polling candidates included Steve Hilton, Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter, and Chad Bianco. Steve Hilton’s campaign declined the invitation.
KQED Gubernatorial Election Town Halls
Former U.S. Representative Katie Porter
May 4 | 7pm
The Commons at KQED
Free for KQED Members
U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell
May 13 | 7pm
The Commons at KQED
Free for KQED Members
Sheriff Chad Bianco
May 18 | 7pm
The Commons at KQED
Free for KQED Members
KQED members can register for tickets at kqed.org/live.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most-listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. kqed.org