Governor of California — General Election
November 3, 2026 — Becerra (D) vs. Hilton (R)
Office: Governor of California — most powerful state executive in the nation, commanding a roughly $330 B budget. Shapes policy for ~39M residents, signs/vetoes legislation, appoints judges and regulators, leads crisis response. Incumbent Gavin Newsom (D) is term-limited, making 2026 the first open governor's race in decades. June 2 primary result: Xavier Becerra (D) took first place with 27.9% and Steve Hilton (R) second with 24.9% (Tom Steyer third at 22.6%), setting up a Democrat-vs-Republican runoff. Becerra would be the first Latino elected directly to the office (Romualdo Pacheco, a Republican of Mexican ancestry, served about 10 months in 1875 by succession but was never elected). Republicans have not won a statewide office in California since Arnold Schwarzenegger's term ended in January 2011.
Xavier Becerra Dem Age 69 Frontrunner
Former U.S. HHS Secretary / CA Attorney General • Sacramento native, Los Angeles resident
Born in Sacramento, son of Mexican immigrants — a construction worker father and clerical worker mother. First in his family to graduate college (Stanford, BA & JD). Nearly 35 years in public service: CA Assembly (1990–92), U.S. House for LA County (1993–2017), California Attorney General (2017–2021), U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services (2021–2025). As AG he filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration. Helped write and pass the Affordable Care Act and led the Supreme Court defense that saved it. As HHS Secretary he negotiated the first-ever Medicare drug price reductions. In the June 2 primary he took first place with 27.9% of the vote, defusing concerns that a large Democratic field might allow two Republicans into the general election.
Top Issues / Platform
- Healthcare: Build on his HHS record — lower drug prices, protect Medi-Cal and the ACA
- Fight Trump: Proven record of suing the administration to protect California's values and funding
- Affordability: Housing as infrastructure, more affordable units, consumer cost relief
- Working class: Pitched himself as "a working-class governor who cannot be bought, cannot be bullied"
- Climate: Continue California's clean-energy and emissions agenda
Key Endorsements & Dynamics
- Vice President Kamala Harris
- Gov. Gavin Newsom (post-primary)
- Assembly Speaker-channel Democratic establishment and much of the state's labor movement
- Early Berkeley IGS general-election poll: Becerra 52% – Hilton 31%
- Becerra leads among Latinos, women, 18–34s, independents; Democrats out-register Republicans ~20 points statewide
Read on the race
- Strengths: Name ID from four years as a national cabinet secretary; demographic floor in a state where ~40% of residents are Latino; huge Democratic registration advantage; disciplined, low-gaffe campaign that consolidated the party late in the primary.
- Weaknesses: Long Sacramento-Washington career allows "career politician" attacks; faced ethics/big-donor questions from the left during the primary; must counter Hilton's pure-change/anti-establishment appeal on affordability.
Steve Hilton Rep Age 57 Underdog
Entrepreneur / former Fox News host • British-born, Farm in the Sierra Foothills
Born in London, son of Hungarian immigrants who came to the U.K. as refugees from the Soviet system. Graduated from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics & Economics. Served as senior director of strategy for British Prime Minister David Cameron (including as a Downing Street adviser on "Big Society"). Became a Fox News host ("The Next Revolution," 2017–2023). Moved to California in 2012, became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and lives on a ranch in the Sierra foothills with his family. Previously a startup founder and Silicon Valley figure; he runs the California policy group Unshackle. His campaign is built around "Califordable" — making the state affordable again. In the June 2 primary he finished second with 24.9% of the vote.
Top Issues / Platform ("Califordable")
- No state income tax on the first $100,000 of earnings, plus a flat 7.5% above that, and no tax on tips
- $3 gas by expanding California oil production and refining capacity
- Cut electric bills in half; proposes "breaking up" PG&E's monopoly
- Housing: more single-family homes, roll back builder fees and regulations
- Freeze in-state tuition at public universities; cap vehicle registration fees at ~$71/year ("End the $800 small business tax")
Key Endorsements & Dynamics
- President Donald Trump (April 2026) — his endorsement helped lift Hilton over Sheriff Chad Bianco in the primary
- Vice President JD Vance
- Reform California (Carl DeMaio) and its "26 in 2026" ground operation
- Raised more than $14M in the primary
- Only 29% of CA voters approve of Trump; Hilton must win over independents who favor Becerra 43–28 in early polling
Read on the race
- Strengths: The only Republican with a credible statewide brand in 20 years; a crisp, populist affordability message that resonates amid high gas, energy, and housing costs; celebrity-adjacent media skills; strong base energy and donor network.
- Weaknesses: 16-point registration hole and Trump's unpopularity (69% disapproval statewide); no record or prior elected office to run on; his $60–65B tax-cut plan would face a Democratic-supermajority Legislature; electoral history says a Republican has never won statewide since 2006/2010.
Sources
- Daily Bruin / AP election call: primary finish Becerra 27.9%, Hilton 24.9%, Steyer 22.6%
- Deseret News (6/12/26): Becerra first place; endorsements from VP Harris; "more than four million voters" framing
- CNN, CNBC, KPBS, TIME (June 2026): primary coverage, Trump endorsement, Hilton's affordability pitch
- Mercury News / Berkeley IGS poll (6/11/26): Becerra 52% vs Hilton 31%; registration gap; Trump 69% disapproval
- Steve Hilton for Governor — "A Califordable Tax Plan" (official policy page): first $100K tax-free, no tax on tips, flat 7.5%, end $800 business tax, $60–65B static impact
- Stanford AARP Q&A (9/1/26), CapRadio, ABC7, BBC, KQED: platform and bio confirmation
- Politico California Currents (8/5/26): Hilton energy-populist message, PG&E proposal