Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra were leading in unofficial early returns Wednesday morning. They appeared positioned to advance to the November California gubernatorial election. The race is to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in steering the nation’s most populous state.
Hilton is a former British political strategist and conservative commentator. He is backed by President Donald Trump. Becerra is a former California attorney general who later served as a Cabinet secretary in President Biden’s administration.
“Change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” Hilton told supporters at his primary night watch party in Orange County. In an interview, he said speaking “honest, simple truths” to voters boosted his campaign. He pledged to cut costs for residents, saying everything is too expensive in California.
Becerra told supporters his campaign’s success is “more than a Hollywood ending. More than a milestone. That’s the everyday miracle of living in a state that makes the improbable seem inevitable.” If elected, he would make history as California’s first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco briefly served in 1875.
California holds a jungle primary where all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two finishers advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Billionaire Tom Steyer was in third place as results continued to be tabulated. He has spent over $200 million of his own money on his bid.
More than $80 million in outside money has also been spent on the race. The ballot included 61 candidates, among them Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Democratic Representative Katie Porter. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond also ran.
Hilton hopes to become the first California Republican to win a gubernatorial election since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election. In his speech, Hilton showed off a blazer lining with American and California flags. He said Schwarzenegger had urged him to wear it a few years ago.
The race lacked a clear frontrunner after former Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Alex Padilla decided not to run. It was overshadowed last year by Los Angeles-area wildfires and President Trump’s immigration raids. The contest entered the spotlight earlier this year when Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell dropped out and resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
Swalwell’s exit opened the door for Steyer and then Becerra to rise in the polls. Bianco was a top contender until Trump’s endorsement of Hilton in early April appeared to blunt his momentum.
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