Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) dominated media coverage this week with 211 points, a 31% increase from the previous week and 707 articles. His coverage surge was driven primarily by negative attention around a fraud case involving his longtime advisor Sean McCluskie, who pleaded guilty to criminal charges. Multiple outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee, framed this as a "bombshell" story that has put Becerra "under attack" from rivals questioning his judgment and competence.

Most other major candidates saw significant coverage declines. Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) dropped 44% to 56 points, Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) fell 30% to 68 points, and Chad Bianco (@ChadBianco) plunged 51% to 43 points. Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) also declined 19% to 76 points, while Antonio Villaraigosa (@AVillaraigosa) experienced the steepest drop at 65% to just 18 points. Tony Thurmond (@TonyThurmond) and Betty Yee (@BettyYeeforCA) both saw substantial decreases as well. Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell), who has dropped out of the race, still generated 46 points in aftermath coverage.

Current polling shows a tight race with no clear frontrunner. Hilton leads at 20.7%, followed by Becerra at 17.2%, Steyer at 15.6%, Bianco at 16.3%, and Porter at 12.4%. The media attention patterns don't align closely with polling support—Becerra received the most coverage despite trailing Hilton in polls, while Bianco polls third but ranked fifth in media coverage. Matt Mahan (@MattMahanSJ) polls at 6.0% but received only 31 points in coverage this week.

Coverage themes varied significantly by candidate. Becerra faced predominantly negative attention over the McCluskie fraud case and questions about his lengthy political record. Steyer drew mixed coverage around his campaign's payments to social media influencers, with investigations into disclosure practices. Porter continued dealing with negative stories about the leaked video of her berating staff and broader temperament questions. Bianco received mixed coverage highlighting both his tough-on-crime appeal and controversies over ballot seizures and debate performances. Hilton garnered positive coverage from conservative outlets touting his potential to win California.