The governor's office is not a place with training wheels
In the long democratic tradition of counting every voice before declaring a direction, California's gubernatorial primary has settled into its final shape: Xavier Becerra, a Democrat forged through decades of institutional service, has overtaken Republican Steve Hilton as ballots continue their deliberate journey through the state's verification process. Under California's top-two system — a structure designed to elevate candidates over parties — both men will carry their competing visions of affordability and governance into November. The race distills a deeper California reckoning: a state where seventy percent of residents find the cost of living unmanageable and only seven percent believe the dream that once defined the place still holds.
- Becerra's late surge past Hilton reversed the election-night narrative, turning what looked like a Republican lead into a Democratic one as mail ballots continued arriving at county offices through Friday.
- The slow count itself became a flashpoint, with President Trump questioning California's election integrity — a charge officials firmly rejected, defending their deliberate verification process as a safeguard, not a scandal.
- Tom Steyer's self-styled insurgency as a 'class traitor' billionaire failed to break through, and with Porter, Villaraigosa, and Mahan already conceding, the field has collapsed around two very different visions of California's future.
- Hilton, a British-born former Fox News host with Trump's endorsement, and Becerra, a 24-year congressional veteran who navigated national crises as HHS Secretary, now face each other in November — a contest that will be fought almost entirely on the ground of affordability.
- With 64% of Californians expressing little confidence that hard work can still build a good life in their state, the general election arrives not as a routine political contest but as a referendum on whether California's promise can be restored.
By Friday evening, Xavier Becerra had moved ahead of Steve Hilton in California's race to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom — a reversal from election night, when Hilton had led as polls closed. The shift came as mail ballots continued flowing into county offices, a routine feature of California's deliberate counting process that nonetheless drew criticism from President Trump, who questioned the state's procedures without evidence. Election officials responded plainly: every ballot receives the same verification, and accuracy takes precedence over speed.
California's top-two primary system ensures that the two leading vote-getters advance to November regardless of party, and Becerra and Hilton appear to have claimed those spots. Behind them, the field has largely dissolved. Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist who cast himself as a progressive alternative to what he called a 'corporate Democrat,' remained a distant third with little path forward. Katie Porter, once an early frontrunner, conceded, as did San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Hilton's campaign has been built around a single, resonant argument: California has become unaffordable, and Sacramento's progressive establishment is responsible. Born in London, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, and a U.S. citizen only since 2021, he has channeled frustration over housing, homelessness, and regulatory burden into a candidacy that earned Trump's enthusiastic endorsement. Becerra, by contrast, has run on institutional depth — 24 years in Congress, a term as California's attorney general, and a tenure leading the federal health department through a national crisis. When Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign in April amid allegations he has denied, much of his support appeared to migrate toward Becerra, whose steady accumulation of votes outlasted rivals with sharper but shorter momentum.
The issue animating the entire race is cost of living. Seventy percent of California registered voters describe it as unmanageable in their communities. Only seven percent believe the California Dream — that ambition and effort can still build a good life — remains attainable. That number will hang over the general election campaign between Becerra and Hilton, shaping every debate about housing, energy, public safety, and what it means to govern the most populous state in the country.
As California's vote counters worked through Friday evening, Xavier Becerra had pulled ahead of Steve Hilton in the race to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom. The shift was significant: Hilton, a former Fox News host and Republican, had led the count when polls closed on election night. But as ballots continued arriving at county election offices, Becerra—the Democrat who served as Health and Human Services Secretary under President Biden—moved into the top position. Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist, remained a distant third, his path to the general election ballot growing narrower by the hour.
California's top-two primary system means that regardless of party, the two candidates with the most votes advance to November. That structure has already reshaped the race's geography: Becerra and Hilton appear locked into those two spots, leaving Steyer and a field of other contenders—including State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco—fighting for scraps. By Friday night, several candidates had already conceded. Katie Porter, the former congresswoman who had been an early frontrunner, acknowledged she would not advance. So did San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, both of whom had built their campaigns around government experience and local accomplishment.
The slow pace of California's vote count has drawn criticism from some Republicans, including President Trump, who questioned the state's election process without offering evidence of irregularities. Election officials have pushed back, explaining that every ballot undergoes the same verification procedures regardless of when it arrives. The timeline, they say, is not a flaw but a feature—a deliberate choice to ensure accuracy over speed.
Hilton's campaign has centered on a single, resonant theme: making California affordable. Born in London and a former strategy director for British Prime Minister David Cameron, Hilton became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and has built his candidacy on criticism of Governor Newsom's handling of housing, homelessness, and regulatory burden. During an April debate, he spoke of wanting young people to be able to build lives in California, to reclaim what he called the California dream of home ownership. Trump endorsed him, posting on Truth Social that if Californians were smart, they would put Hilton in the governor's mansion and watch the state improve "at a rate that has probably never been seen before." That endorsement came even as Hilton's main Republican rival, Chad Bianco, had positioned himself as the anti-establishment candidate, arguing that Sacramento's progressive legislature was destroying the state.
Becerra's rise has been steadier and more institutional. He represented parts of Los Angeles in Congress for 24 years before becoming California's attorney general, then moving to the Biden administration. His campaign argument rests on experience: the governor's office, he said during the April debate, is not a place for training wheels. You need someone who has faced national crises and knows how to navigate them. When Eric Swalwell, who had been a leading Democratic candidate, suspended his campaign in April after allegations of sexual assault surfaced—allegations he has denied—Becerra appeared to absorb much of Swalwell's support. The California Democratic Party, fractured among multiple candidates, never coalesced around a consensus choice, but Becerra's steady accumulation of votes proved more durable than his rivals' momentum.
Steyer, who has never held elected office, has positioned himself as the most progressive Democrat in the race and attacked Becerra as a corporate Democrat beholden to corporate donors. He describes himself as a "class traitor," a billionaire hedge-fund manager willing to spend his own fortune to challenge the establishment. During a recent campaign event, he framed the race as a three-way contest with only two spots available: a MAGA Republican, a corporate Democrat, and himself representing something different. But as votes accumulated, that argument failed to gain traction with enough voters to keep him competitive.
The race has been dominated by a single concern: cost of living. Seventy percent of California registered voters say the cost of living in their communities is unmanageable. Only seven percent believe the California Dream—the idea that hard work and ambition can build a good life—remains attainable today. Twenty-nine percent are somewhat confident it is possible; sixty-four percent are not. Every major candidate has been pressed on how they would address housing affordability, homelessness, energy policy, public safety, immigration, gas prices, and the broader affordability crisis. The issue has shaped the entire primary, and it will almost certainly dominate the general election campaign between Becerra and Hilton in November.
Citas Notables
We want young people to be able to make your life here in California, to restore that California dream of home ownership— Steve Hilton, during April CBS News Governor's Debate
The governor's office is not a place with training wheels. You need people who have experienced those challenges, have dealt with national crisis— Xavier Becerra, during April CBS News Governor's Debate
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did Becerra overtake Hilton when the early count favored Hilton?
The mail-in ballots that arrived later seem to have broken differently. Becerra consolidated Democratic support after Swalwell dropped out, while Hilton's Republican base, though solid, wasn't enough to hold the lead as the full electorate was counted.
What does Steyer's third-place finish tell us about the Democratic primary?
It suggests that voters wanted experience and institutional credibility more than they wanted an outsider billionaire, even one willing to spend his own money and position himself as the most progressive option.
Is the slow vote count actually a problem, or is it just criticism from people who don't like the result?
Probably both. Election officials have a legitimate point about verification procedures. But the criticism also reflects real frustration—people want to know who won, and waiting days creates space for doubt and conspiracy theories, whether justified or not.
What happens to Steyer now?
He's mathematically still in the race, but the math is brutal. He'd need Becerra and Hilton to both collapse, which isn't happening. He's likely to watch from the sidelines as two candidates—one Democrat, one Republican—fight over who gets to govern a state obsessed with affordability.
Why did Porter and Mahan drop out so quickly?
They never built the kind of durable support that survives a long primary. Porter had the viral moments that hurt her more than helped. Mahan was a late entry with no real base. In a crowded field, you need either money, name recognition, or a clear constituency. They had fragments of each but not enough of any one thing.