Becerra and Hilton Advance to November Race for California Governor
With Democrats holding a large registration edge, the fall contest will center on housing, affordability, wildfire-driven insurance losses, pressure on state services
Overview
- Projections published June 10 show Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton finished as the top two in the June 2 primary, with Tom Steyer finishing third.
- California’s top-two primary sends the two highest vote-getters to November regardless of party, and late-counted ballots in the state have historically helped Democratic totals.
- Becerra built his surge on long government experience, a record of suing President Trump and policy pledges such as emergency steps on utilities and enforcement of housing rules.
- Hilton, endorsed by President Trump, ran on cutting bureaucracy and lowering costs but faces roughly a 4.6 million voter-registration deficit for Republicans in California.
- Coverage highlights different angles: CalMatters spotlights Becerra’s rise and coalition support while CNN-linked outlets emphasize Hilton’s Trump backing and Steyer’s more than $200 million in personal spending.