The ballots are still moving through the counting machines
In the nation's most populous state, a former cabinet secretary and lifelong public servant has secured his place in a November contest whose full shape remains unresolved, as millions of mail-in ballots continue their deliberate journey through California's counting process. Xavier Becerra's advance carries a weight beyond electoral arithmetic — should he prevail in the fall, he would become the first Latino governor of California in over 150 years, in a state where Latinos now form the largest share of the population. The race to face him remains unresolved, suspended between a British-American television personality and a billionaire climate activist, while the machinery of democracy moves at the pace the law requires.
- Becerra locked in his general election spot after frontrunner Eric Swalwell's sudden April withdrawal reshuffled the Democratic field and opened a path for consolidation.
- The contest for the second slot is razor-thin — Steve Hilton leads Tom Steyer by roughly 300,000 votes, but California's 30-day mail-in counting window means the outcome cannot yet be called.
- President Trump has seized on the counting delay to repeat unfounded claims of electoral manipulation, escalating national tension around a state process that legal experts say is both lawful and routine.
- California will not certify results until July 10, leaving candidates, donors, and millions of voters in a prolonged state of uncertainty about who will ultimately challenge Becerra in November.
- The symbolic and political stakes are immense — the winner will govern a state of 23 million registered voters, a multibillion-dollar budget, and a Latino population that has waited 151 years to see one of its own lead the state.
California's ballots are still being counted, and it will be weeks before Xavier Becerra knows his November opponent. What is already settled is that the former Biden health secretary and ex-state attorney general has secured his place in the general election — the first candidate to do so in what has become the most expensive gubernatorial race in California history.
Becerra built his campaign on decades of elected service, from Congress to the state attorney general's office to Biden's cabinet. He has promised to resist Trump administration policies and freeze insurance and utility rates. His path was cleared considerably when Representative Eric Swalwell, long considered the frontrunner, withdrew in April following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that he has denied — a departure that fractured the Democratic field and allowed Becerra to consolidate support.
The race for the second slot remains unresolved. Steve Hilton, a British-American former Fox News host and one-time adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, holds second place with over 1.6 million votes. Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat who has poured millions of his own money into the race, trails with 1.3 million. The margin is too narrow to call.
California's counting process is meticulous by design. With roughly 23 million registered voters and about 80 percent casting ballots by mail, each county has up to 30 days to count and validate results, with state certification not arriving until July 10. President Trump has used the delay to repeat unfounded claims of Democratic manipulation — echoing his long-standing opposition to mail-in voting — though legal experts say his April executive order attempting to limit the practice exceeds his authority.
The deeper significance of the race is hard to overstate. A Becerra victory in November would make him California's first Latino governor since 1875, a milestone of profound symbolism in a state where Latinos now comprise 41 percent of the population. For now, California waits — patiently, deliberately — for the mail to be sorted, validated, and counted.
The ballots are still moving through the counting machines in California, and it will be weeks before anyone knows for certain who Xavier Becerra will face in November. What is clear, though, is that the former health secretary under President Biden has secured his place in the general election after Tuesday's primary, becoming the first candidate to lock in a spot in what has become the most expensive gubernatorial race in the state's history.
Becerra, who previously served as California's attorney general before joining Biden's cabinet, built his campaign around a lifetime in elected office—first in Congress, then in state government. He has promised to fight the Trump administration's policies and to freeze insurance and utility rates for Californians. His path to the primary victory was smoothed considerably when Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, who had seemed like the frontrunner for months, withdrew in April following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which Swalwell has consistently denied. That departure fractured the Democratic field and left room for Becerra to consolidate support.
The race for the second spot remains genuinely uncertain. Steve Hilton, a British-American former television host who worked as an adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to Fox News, currently holds second place with more than 1.6 million votes. Close behind him is Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate activist and Democrat who has invested millions of his own money into the campaign, with 1.3 million votes. The margin between them is narrow enough that the outcome cannot yet be called.
California's counting process is deliberately meticulous, which is why definitive results will take time to arrive. The state is home to roughly 23 million registered voters, and about 80 percent of them cast ballots by mail. Every county has up to 30 days after election day to count and validate those ballots, and the state will not certify results until July 10. This deliberate pace has drawn criticism from President Trump, who has claimed without evidence that Democrats are attempting to manipulate the election. Trump has long opposed mail-in voting, repeatedly making unfounded claims about the 2020 presidential election, and in April he signed an executive order attempting to limit the practice—a move legal experts say exceeds his authority.
The stakes of this race extend beyond California politics. If Becerra wins the general election, he would become the state's first Latino governor since 1875, a symbolic milestone in a state where Latino residents comprise about 41 percent of the population. The race itself has drawn enormous spending from multiple candidates and their supporters, with Silicon Valley money backing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Steyer's personal wealth fueling his campaign. More than 60 candidates, mostly Democrats, appeared on the primary ballot to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who has reached his term limit. Whoever emerges as Becerra's opponent will be competing for control of a position that oversees a multibillion-dollar budget, thousands of state employees, and hundreds of state agencies. For now, California voters and political observers are waiting for the mail to be sorted, validated, and counted.
Citas Notables
Becerra has vowed to fight Trump's policies and promised to freeze insurance and utility rates for Californians— Campaign platform
Trump claimed that Democrats are trying to steal elections in California through mail-in voting— President Donald Trump
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that Becerra is advancing when we don't yet know who he'll face?
Because it signals something about the Democratic primary's shape. Swalwell's exit fractured the field, and Becerra was able to consolidate support where there might have been a clear winner otherwise. His advancement is real; the uncertainty is about what comes next.
The mail-in voting delay seems to be becoming a political weapon. Is that new?
The delay itself isn't new—California has always counted carefully. What's new is the weaponization of it. Trump is using the counting process as evidence of fraud, which pressures the state to move faster or defend itself. That's a real shift.
If Becerra becomes governor, what does that mean symbolically?
It would be the first Latino governor in 150 years in a state that's 41 percent Latino. That's not just representation—it's a statement about who gets to hold power in California after a very long exclusion.
Why is Steyer still in this race if he's trailing?
Because the race is too close to call. He's a billionaire who can fund his own campaign indefinitely, and with mail-in ballots still being counted, the final margin might shift. He's betting that his money and message can overcome Hilton's current lead.
What happens if the results aren't certified until July 10?
The general election campaign essentially runs on incomplete information. Becerra knows he's in, but he doesn't know his opponent. That's unusual and creates a strange limbo for the campaign itself.