Xavier Becerra Advances in California Governor's Race as Hilton Edges Steyer for Second Spot

Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. health secretary and longtime California attorney general, has advanced to the November general election in the race to lead the nation's most populous state, emerging from a crowded June 2 primary as the candidate to beat in the contest to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Under California's nonpartisan "top-two" system, the two highest finishers advance regardless of party. Becerra finished first with roughly 26.7 percent of the vote. The fight for the second slot remained agonizingly close for days, with Republican commentator and businessman Steve Hilton holding about 26.4 percent — a margin of just a few thousand votes over Democratic billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer, who trailed at around 21 percent as elections officials continued counting mail ballots.

The result reshaped a sprawling field that had included some of the biggest names in California Democratic politics. Former Rep. Katie Porter conceded as the count tightened, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa exited early in the evening once initial returns made clear they would not reach the top two. The early winnowing underscored Becerra's strength among the state's Democratic base and his pitch as the most experienced administrator in the race.

Becerra, 68, has built a long résumé in California and Washington. He served more than two decades in Congress, became the state's first Latino attorney general in 2017, and led the Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration. On the campaign trail he leaned heavily on that experience, casting himself as a steady hand prepared to defend the state against federal pressure on immigration, health care and environmental policy. "California needs a governor who has actually done the work," he told supporters as returns came in.

Hilton, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron who later became a Fox News host, ran as a sharp critic of Democratic governance in Sacramento, hammering the cost of living, homelessness and crime. His apparent advance would guarantee Republicans a spot on the fall ballot in a heavily Democratic state, even as the GOP has not won a California governor's race since 2006. Steyer, who spent tens of millions of his own fortune, narrowed the gap as later ballots were tallied but could not overtake him.

The same primary night reshuffled other marquee races. State Sen. Scott Wiener advanced in the contest to fill former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's House seat, and Democrats sorted through competitive primaries in five other states. But the governor's race drew the most attention, setting up a high-stakes fall campaign over the direction of a state of nearly 40 million people. With ballots still being processed under California's lengthy counting rules, officials cautioned that final certification would take additional time.