A dramatic turnaround has shaken up California’s governor’s race, as a Democratic candidate unexpectedly surged past former Fox News host Steve Hilton to secure a spot in the November election.
Xavier Becerra, 68, advanced to the general election Friday after campaigning as an experienced leader capable of guiding the nation’s most populous state and succeeding Governor Gavin Newsom.
His remarkable turnaround comes after previously being an ‘afterthought’, as reported by the New York Times. A late surge propelled him to a top-two finish in this week’s primary election, as determined by the Associated Press.
In California’s nonpartisan primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party, and the two candidates who receive the most votes clinch a spot in the November election.
‘The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken – loudly and proudly,’ Becerra said in a statement.
‘We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down. November, here we come.’
Becerra leaned on more than 35 years in public office – including as state attorney general and US health secretary – to argue that he was the most qualified candidate in a crowded field.
The remaining question is who he will face in five months, as his top rivals – Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer – remain locked in a tight race for second place, with officials still counting millions of ballots.
Xavier Becerra, 68, advanced to the general election for California’s governor on Friday
Hilton, a Republican and former Fox News commentator, is backed by President Trump
Becerra leaned on more than 35 years in public office – including as state attorney general and US health secretary – to argue that he was the most qualified candidate
Hilton, a Republican and former Fox News commentator, is backed by President Donald Trump. Steyer, a Democrat and billionaire climate activist, has forked out over $215 million of his own money on his campaign.
Becerra’s rise to frontrunner was partly driven by late-deciding Democratic voters, as results earlier in the week had favored Hilton, according to The New York Times.
While the former Fox News host benefited from Republican voters who submitted ballots early, many Democrats said they waited until the final week of voting to cast theirs.
Voters said they waited because they found it difficult to choose among their party’s candidates and wanted to see how the race unfolded, leading to early results favoring Hilton.
‘It was a struggle for me to choose today,’ Maravilla Hernandez-Perez, 25, told the outlet, adding that she voted ‘strategically’ when she cast her ballot in Los Angeles on Thursday night, just before the polls closed.
‘I ended up going with Becerra ultimately because it looked like he had a slightly stronger chance of winning.’
‘I really don’t want California to turn Republican, that is my main concern,’ she added.
Becerra’s progression to the November runoff was officially called on Friday after he passed Hilton in the returns, putting him in position to make history as California’s first Latino governor in over a century.
Becerra’s rise to frontrunner was partly driven by late-deciding Democratic voters, as results earlier in the week had favored Hilton
Becerra’s second rival is Tom Steyer, a Democrat and billionaire climate activist who has spent $215 million of his own money on his campaign
Current Governor Gavin Newsom was barred by term limits from seeking a third term in office
His low-key style and moderate politics helped propel an unlikely victory. He credited his victory in part to California’s demographic transformation, where Latinos now comprise the largest share of the state’s population.
Born and raised in Sacramento by Mexican immigrant parents, Becerra said his family’s immigrant background mirrored his ‘underdog’ gubernatorial campaign, which initially struggled to gain traction before Friday’s surprise turnaround.
He also emphasized his working-class roots and his experience as a congressman and health secretary under President Joe Biden, saying that, along with support from political insiders and financial backing, it helped fuel his rise.
‘He is deliberate, he’s experienced, and his personal style, I think, really helped to sustain the interest in him and have him scale up that support,’ Fernando Guerra, a political science professor, told The New York Times.
Guerra added that he most likely benefited from being more of a centrist compared to other liberal candidates, including rival Steyer and former congresswoman Katie Porter.
‘Only in California would his positions be considered moderate,’ he told the outlet. ‘He is a liberal.’
Becerra has pledged to keep California a top opponent of President Trump. As attorney general, he filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration on issues ranging from immigration to climate policy.
If elected, he said he would would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates.
Becerra’s victory puts him in position to make history as California’s first Latino governor in over a century
One of the top Democratic contenders, Eric Swalwell, was accused of sexual assault and dropped out of the race
Hilton could be hurt by his Trump endorsement in a state where the president remains unpopular
In the months leading up to this weeks results, Becerra was often ignored by political insiders and was even urged by his own party chairman to consider dropping out of the race in March.
But after one of the top Democratic contenders, Rep. Eric Swalwell, was accused of sexual assault and dropped out of the race, Becerra benefited from a surprise opening that helped consolidate Democratic support.
He ran on becoming the first Latino to win a California governor primary and would be considered a clear favorite against Hilton in the general election due to party differences.
No Republican has won statewide office in California since 2006, and Hilton could be hurt by his Trump endorsement in a state where the president remains deeply unpopular.
Meanwhile, a matchup between Becerra and Steyer would trigger a months-long intraparty battle with the former hedge fund manager.
Steyer spent millions of his personal fortune in the primary, helping make it California’s most expensive governor’s race in American history, according to an analysis by the ad tracking firm AdImpact.
He also targeted Becerra with negative ads in the final stretch of the primary, including one suggesting he could be indicted by the Trump administration.
Steyer used the attack after two of Becerra’s aides pleaded guilty in the past year to corruption charges for siphoning off campaign funds, according to the NYT.
Becerra pledged to keep California an opponent of President Trump. As attorney general, he filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration
Steyer helped make the primary California’s most expensive governor’s race in American history
If elected, Becerra said he would would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates
However, Becerra has said he was unaware of the transfers, with federal prosecutors describing him as a victim of his aides’ crimes.
The president has criticized California’s slow vote count and made baseless fraud claims, while federal prosecutors opened election fraud investigations on Friday. Steve Hilton has called for mail ballots to be sent only to voters who request them.
Other attacks painted Becerra as tied to special interests, pointing to $54 million in business-backed spending supporting him and opposing Steyer.
During the campaign, Becerra’s rivals criticized his leadership as health secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 migrant children crisis, when his department oversaw shelters for children.
Critics said some shelters had inadequate living conditions and that authorities failed to properly vet sponsors with whom some children were placed.
Though California is one of the nation’s most diverse states, nearly all of its governors have been white men. Becerra would be the first Latino to hold the office since the late 1800s.
Newsom was barred by term limits from seeking a third term in office.
