Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra will face off in the November general election for California governor, according to CBS News projections. Hilton advanced through California’s top-two primary, holding off billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, while Becerra mounted a late surge in the vote count.
The Path to the November General Election
Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, built his campaign around a platform of systemic change in state government. He expressed gratitude to voters in a social media video statement, noting that approximately two million people supported his primary bid.
“I want to thank every single one of you who voted for me, around 2 million of you,” Hilton said, according to CBS News. “I want to thank everyone who didn’t vote for me, and I want you to know that I’m running for governor to be of service to you to make sure that our government gets the basics right so that you could live your dreams.”
Xavier Becerra advanced to the runoff after overtaking Hilton in the vote count on Friday, according to CBS News reporting. Becerra’s late rise in the primary came following the exit of former Representative Eric Swalwell. As a former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and California attorney general, Becerra enters the general election contest backed by prominent Democratic figures, including outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
High-Stakes Democratic Party Consolidation
Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist and primary opponent, acknowledged his defeat on Tuesday evening and immediately urged party unity behind Becerra. According to CBS News, Steyer directed sharp criticism at Hilton and President Donald Trump while emphasizing the importance of keeping a Republican out of the governor’s office.
“For now, we must stay focused. Donald Trump is the embodiment of the corporations’ craven, soulless, profit-first model of politics, and it is absolutely essential that his handpicked candidate does not hold the keys to California,” Steyer stated, as reported by CBS News. “It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not.”
If elected in November, Hilton would become California’s first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011. Conversely, if Becerra wins the general election, he would become the state’s first Latino governor in 150 years, since Romulado Pacheco.
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