Hilton, Becerra poised to advance to November in California governor’s race
As of early Wednesday morning, state officials had not called the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra looked poised to advance to the November general election, according to unofficial ballot returns.
California’s notoriously slow vote count, which Secretary of State Shirley Weber says prizes accuracy over speed, means that results likely won’t be finalized for days, or even weeks. Last month, Newsom urged local election clerks to speed the count to curb voting misinformation.
The contest has been unpredictable after high profile potential contenders from former Vice President Kamala Harris to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla opted against running. That left the Democratic establishment scrambling to coalesce around a candidate, which former Rep. Eric Swalwell looked likely to fill until sexual misconduct allegations derailed his campaign and he resigned from office.
In California, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Some early polls predicted a possible dual Republican matchup, panicking Democrats worried about losing the governor’s mansion for the first time in two decades and reigniting an effort to reform the primary system.
But as of early Wednesday morning, Hilton had garnered 27.6% of the counted vote and Becerra had 25.5%. Democrat Tom Steyer trailed with about 19.6%. The Associated Press estimated about 55% of votes had been counted and had not called the race for any candidates.
State leaders urged low-polling candidates to drop out, a charge some denounced as anti-democratic and biased against candidates of color. The fluid dynamics of the race also led Democratic voters to hold onto their ballots for longer than usual and post a flurry of late returns, while Republicans voted earlier, allowing Hilton an early lead.
If Becerra wins in November, he would be the first Latino to serve as governor since 1875 in a state where they make up 41% of the population. He took to the stage at his election party in Los Angeles around 10:30 p.m. to thank his family for their support and take a swipe at his top Democratic rival, billionaire climate change advocate Tom Steyer.
“After all the exhausting ads are run, the pundits are spun, and the billionaires try to buy their way in, it’s the people — only the people — who get the last word,” Becerra said.
The former attorney general connected his parents’ immigration to the U.S. from Mexico seven decades ago to his underdog early campaign for governor, where he was considered “an afterthought overlooked by many” for much of the campaign. He addressed a sense of pessimism among Californians, saying that “in this new world, it feels like, look, feels like the old guarantees no longer apply” and made broad promises to protect reproductive rights, build affordable housing, protect the environment, create more jobs and fight back against President Donald Trump.
“When power’s pendulum swings back against the chaos, the cruelty, and the corruption, when all that remains of MAGA are broken promises, unpaid debts and empty ballrooms the world will look once again for American renewal and for the state of California to lead the way more than ever,” Becerra said.
Hilton ran a campaign of wanting to make California affordable and as a referendum on Democratic governance in a state where they have controlled the Legislature and governor’s mansion for over a decade. He spoke to reporters at an election party in Huntington Beach, though the stage backdrop showed a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge.
“We’ve got the energy, the ambition, the optimism. We’ve got everything we need to make California golden again,” he said. “Change is coming to California.”
He plans to speak to reporters on Wednesday at the state Republican Party headquarters in Sacramento alongside party Chair Corrin Rankin to reintroduce statewide GOP candidates ahead of the general election.
The race was the first statewide contest in which deep-pocketed Silicon Valley donors weighed in after successfully swaying local politics in recent years. Many of them backed San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who pitched himself as a moderate Democrat who was unafraid to cross swords with organized labor and Newsom on public safety.
The $35 million they pledged to his campaign was not enough for the mayor to overcome his low name recognition. After failing to break through in polls and returning supporters’ donations, he conceded minutes after polls closed.
So did former Rep. Katie Porter and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who trended at single digits for months. In recent weeks, he appeared to relish needling Becerra, a former friend turned political rival.
“I’m not stepping aside from the cause, only from the race. To everyone who gave this campaign a piece of their hope: hold on to it,” Villaraigosa said. “California is worth fighting for — and I’m not done fighting.”
