HUNTINGTON BEACH — In a state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor in nearly two decades and where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one in registered voters, Tuesday night belonged to two conservative political outsiders who based their campaigns on a simple message: Californians deserve better.

Editor's note: This is part of a series of stories on the June 2 primary election in California. The stories include comments from candidates who agreed to interviews with The Center Square.

Candidates vying to succeed California’s term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom squared off Tuesday in a CNN-hosted debate, with former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra drawing the most pointed jabs from rivals on both sides of the aisle.

Eight candidates vying to become California’s next governor gathered Tuesday at Pomona College in Claremont for a debate that was as much a test of scrappy stamina as it was of policy, with contenders in the crowded field fighting for airtime while attempting to address the state’s deepening affordability crisis.

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Four Democratic candidates for California governor took the stage in San Francisco Wednesday night, hoping to shake up the scattered Democratic support and emerge as a frontrunner while knocking the two Republicans out of their leading positions.

Billionaire climate activist and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer has won a key union endorsement that helps solidify his position as the party’s leading contender for California governor. This follows the dramatic collapse of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign and his resignation from Congress Tuesday amid additional allegations of sexual assault.