Seven candidates shared the stage, with Democrat Xavier Becerra, who has recently gained momentum, quickly becoming a focal point of criticism.
"You shouldn't be on this stage. You shouldn't be in this race. You should be preparing your criminal defense," Republican Steve Hilton said.
Becerra dismissed the attack, framing it as a response to his standing in the race.
"This is what happens when you take the lead in the polls, and you're ahead of everyone else, they all come at you," he said.
The exchange centered on a campaign finance scandal involving Becerra's former advisor and campaign consultant, both of whom have pleaded guilty in a scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from one of his campaign accounts.
Becerra has not been named in the indictment and continues to deny any involvement.
"As I've said since day one, I was not involved in the wrongdoing. I had nothing to do with that," Becerra said.
Fellow Democrat Katie Porter questioned whether the matter is fully resolved.
"You know that does not preclude an indictment from being issued against you," Porter said.
Beyond the controversy, candidates debated proposals to address the high cost of living in California. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and businessman Tom Steyer clashed over competing approaches.
"The answer is to put more money in people's pockets by bringing down costs. Tom Steyer's structural change sounds to me more like socialism," Mahan said.
Steyer countered by focusing on corporate influence and pricing.
"Those are the people I'm going to be taking on, the people who are using their market power to rip off Californians and make our costs go through the roof," he said.
Hilton, who has backing from former President Donald Trump, continued to argue for a shift away from Democratic leadership, pointing to rising living expenses.
"He supports the policies that have made housing and gas the most expensive in the country. We need a change from those policies, not more of the same," Hilton said.
Education also emerged as a key topic, particularly as the Fresno Unified School District prepares for layoffs.
Candidates were asked how they would improve student performance and support schools statewide, with several pointing to teacher pay as a major factor.
"Administration in our school systems gets half of the money. That is why we are falling," said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Steyer emphasized the importance of investing in educators to improve outcomes.
"The way we get great outcomes for kids is to attract teachers, train them and retain them. We are not attracting because they won't come for the money," he said.
The debate underscored the sharp divisions among candidates on key issues, as they made their case to voters ahead of the primary election.
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