Becerra and Hilton Set for November Showdown in California Governor's Race as Wiener Takes Pelosi's Seat

California voters set up a November showdown for governor between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, as results from the state's June 2 top-two primary showed the two men advancing from a crowded field. In the latest tallies, Becerra led with about 26.7 percent of the vote to Hilton's 26.4 percent, with billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer trailing in third at roughly 21 percent. Under California's nonpartisan primary system, the top two finishers advance regardless of party.

Becerra, a former congressman who later served as California attorney general and as health secretary under President Joe Biden, pitched himself as the experienced hand best equipped to lead the nation's most populous state. His campaign leaned on a long record in Washington and Sacramento, casting him as a steady manager at a moment of national turbulence. Steyer, who poured personal wealth into a climate-focused message, fell short of the runoff in a result that underscored the limits of self-funded campaigns in a state with deep Democratic benches.

Hilton, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron turned conservative commentator, campaigned with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and sought to channel frustration over the cost of living, homelessness and crime. His advance gives California Republicans their highest-profile statewide candidate in years, though the party faces steep odds in a state where registered Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans and no Republican has won the governorship since 2006.

The marquee down-ballot contest came in California's 11th Congressional District, the San Francisco seat long held by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, a prominent figure in housing and transit politics, advanced to the general election. San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who carried Pelosi's endorsement, finished second, setting up an intra-party battle in the fall for a seat that has become a symbol of generational change in the Democratic Party.

The primary was one of several held across the country on June 2, part of a midterm cycle that both parties are watching closely for signs of the national mood. Millions of ballots remained to be counted in California, where mail voting can stretch tabulation for days, and the precise margins in several races were still shifting as election officials processed late-arriving ballots.

For Becerra and Hilton, the result begins a five-month campaign that will test whether Trump's endorsement is an asset or a liability in deep-blue California, and whether Democrats' dominance can withstand voter anxiety over affordability. The governor's race will also serve as a barometer for the broader 2026 landscape, offering an early read on how the two parties are positioning themselves for a high-stakes national election.