Candidates for the California Senate seat held by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein traded jabs about Donald Trump, housing policies and the Israel-Hamas war Monday night at Bovard Auditorium in a debate jointly hosted by Fox 11 and POLITICO.

In anticipation of the March primary that will send the top two contenders to the Nov. 5 general election, the night’s event featured the top four polling candidates in the race: Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee, and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey. Debate moderators, Fox 11 anchor Elex Michaelson and senior political reporter at POLITICO Melanie Mason opened the evening, the latter describing the candidate field as “the most competitive race for U.S. Senate that California has seen in decades.”

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Early in the debate, the candidates attempted to draw distinctions between their positions on the Israel-Hamas war. Lee highlighted her 2001 opposition to the use of military force following Sept. 11, saying she predicted a larger spiral of violence following the attacks then, and sees the same occurring in the Middle East today.

Immediately following the Oct. 7 attack, she called for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. 

“I said then and I’m saying now: ‘It could spiral out of control,’” Lee said. “We do not have a path to Israel’s security, nor do we have a path to a Palestinian state.”

Schiff said he supported Israel’s right to self-defense as well as a two-state solution; Garvey said “I stand with Israel yesterday, today and tomorrow,” but said he did not believe a two-state solution was immediately possible. Porter took a position between the two other Democrats on stage expressing support for a “lasting bilateral ceasefire” — in which both Israel and Hamas suspend fighting — with conditions including release of all hostages and an end to Hamas’ control of Gaza.

During Schiff’s answer, he said that “[Israel] has a duty to defend itself and I think the United States should support Israel in defending itself. We also should work with Israel to reduce the number of civilian casualties.”