Hilton, Becerra lead in tight primary race for California governor
Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra are leading in the California governor primary race, with Hilton at 27.8% and Becerra at 25.4% of the vote. Both candidates are positioned to advance to the general election on November 3, pending final ballot counts. The election is significant as it will determine the successor to term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom and address critical state issues.
- ▪Hilton and Becerra are leading in the open primary race for California governor.
- ▪Hilton has 27.8% of the vote, while Becerra has 25.4%, with both candidates having over 1.2 million votes.
- ▪Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer trails with 19.6% of the vote.
- ▪If Becerra wins, he would become the first Latino elected governor of California.
- ▪Republicans have not held a statewide office in California since 2011.
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Hilton, Becerra lead in tight primary race for California governorSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPublished Jun 03, 2026, 08:51 PMUpdated Jun 03, 2026, 08:51 PMJune 3 - Republican television commentator Steve Hilton and Democratic former cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra held onto early leads in the open primary race for California governor on Wednesday, positioning them to potentially advance to the November 3 general election.With all of California precincts partially reporting, Hilton was ahead with 27.8% of the vote and Becerra had 25.4%, according to official results.
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