Hilton and Becerra Lead Crowded Field in California Governor Primary
Counting continues in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom, with a Trump-endorsed former UK political adviser and a Biden cabinet secretary currently holding the top two spots.
Primary source: BBC World News. Full source links and update notes are below.
Fast summary
Start here
- Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton currently lead the top-two primary to become California's next governor.
- The race remains undecided as officials process a high volume of mail-in ballots across the most populous US state.
- The contest to succeed the term-limited Gavin Newsom has become the most expensive gubernatorial race in California history.
What happened
Early results from California’s primary election show Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton leading a field of more than 60 candidates. Becerra, a Democrat, and Hilton, a Republican, are currently in position to advance to the general election in November. The contest seeks a successor for Governor Gavin Newsom, who is prevented from running again due to term limits.
What's new in this update
As of Wednesday, the race remains too close to call due to the large volume of postal ballots cast on Tuesday. Xavier Becerra holds a lead among the Democratic field, while Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton leads the Republican challengers. Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer is currently in third place as counting continues across the state.
Key details
Steve Hilton, a former top adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron and a former Fox News host, has campaigned on cutting taxes and regulations. Xavier Becerra, who served as President Biden’s health secretary, has centered his platform on freezing insurance and utility rates. The primary used California's 'jungle' system, where the top two candidates move forward regardless of their political party affiliation.
Background and context
The race was upended in April when early frontrunner Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress amid sexual assault allegations, which he denied. The resulting vacuum led to a massive field of over 60 candidates. This fragmentation sparked concerns within the Democratic Party that multiple candidates could splinter the liberal vote, potentially allowing two Republicans to advance in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans two-to-one.
What to watch next
Election officials expect counting to continue for several days before the final top-two matchup is confirmed. If Hilton maintains his position and advances to the general election, he will face a significant demographic hurdle; California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
Why it matters
California is the world's fifth-largest economy, and its leadership often dictates national and global trends on climate policy, immigration, and housing affordability.
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