Becerra and Trump-Backed Hilton Advance to November Showdown for California Governor

California’s race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom narrowed to a stark choice this month after Democrat Xavier Becerra and Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton emerged from a crowded June 2 primary to advance to the November general election. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two highest finishers move on regardless of party, and the result set up a contest pitting a veteran Democratic officeholder against a conservative media figure.

Becerra, a former California attorney general who went on to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, pitched himself as the experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state. If elected, he would become California’s first Latino governor in modern history. With roughly 88% of the expected vote counted, Becerra led the field with about 28%, according to projections.

Hilton, a one-time British political strategist who became a conservative commentator and former Fox News host, consolidated Republican support to finish second at about 25%. Backed by President Trump, he has cast the race as a chance to change course in a state Republicans have not won statewide in years, leaning into affordability, public safety and frustration with one-party rule in Sacramento.

The primary thinned a deep Democratic bench that included former Rep. Katie Porter, who conceded, along with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state schools chief Tony Thurmond and billionaire activist Tom Steyer. The crowded Democratic field splintered the party’s vote, helping Hilton secure the second runoff slot in a heavily Democratic state.

The ballot also reshaped the San Francisco congressional seat long held by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose retirement opened the district for the first time in decades. State Sen. Scott Wiener and city Supervisor Connie Chan advanced to a November runoff there; Pelosi had endorsed Chan, who campaigned on affordability and working-family issues, over the better-funded Wiener.

The November matchup will test whether Trump’s endorsement is an asset or a liability in deep-blue California, where the president remains broadly unpopular even as Republicans hope economic anxieties and concerns over crime and cost of living give them an opening. For Democrats, Becerra’s long résumé offers continuity, while critics question whether a familiar Sacramento figure can answer voter demands for change. The contest now joins a slate of high-profile races shaping the 2026 midterms.