Becerra Projected to Win California Governor's Race, Keeping Governorship in Democratic Hands

The Fox News Decision Desk has projected that Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and former Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, will be California's next governor. He defeats Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is barred by term limits from running again. The result keeps the governorship in Democratic hands.

Becerra has spent more than three decades in public office. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1990, then served more than twenty years in Congress. He left the House in 2017 when then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him state attorney general. He won a full term in that job the following year, and from 2021 to 2025 he served as Biden's HHS secretary.

The general election matchup was set in June, when California's nonpartisan top-two primary produced a crowded field. Becerra finished first with roughly 28% of the vote, and Hilton advanced in second with about 25%. Certified results from the California secretary of state's office show more than 9.4 million Californians cast primary ballots.

The outcome extends a long Democratic run in statewide politics, in a state where registered Democrats substantially outnumber Republicans. No Republican has won a California governor's race since Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election in 2006, and none has held the office since Schwarzenegger left in January 2011.

Hilton, a former Fox News host and onetime policy advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, ran as a change candidate. He argued that years of Democratic control in Sacramento had contributed to the state's high cost of living, homelessness and other problems. His platform called for cutting taxes and state spending, rolling back regulations and climate mandates, and expanding energy production to lower housing, electricity and gasoline costs. President Donald Trump endorsed him, though Hilton said in the general election that he would work with the administration while disagreeing with the president when necessary. He told Fox News Digital that he rejected the idea that Republicans can't win in California: "I think people are sick of all this," he said, adding that voters were also tired of Becerra "just taking them for granted."

Affordability was central for Becerra too. He argued that rising costs threatened what he called the "California Dream," but he offered a different remedy: a larger role for state programs and enforcement rather than broad cuts. He proposed speeding up housing construction, expanding childcare assistance and early education, strengthening Medi-Cal, and cracking down on landlords he accused of price gouging. He also pointed to his HHS record, including efforts to lower prescription drug costs and widen access to health coverage.

The two also split sharply on the Trump administration. Becerra campaigned on shielding California policies and programs from federal challenges, citing his record of repeatedly taking the first Trump administration to court as state attorney general. He also reaffirmed his support for protecting access to transgender medical procedures, including for transgender youth, an issue he championed at HHS, where he defended leaving treatment decisions for minors to families and medical providers rather than politicians.

Becerra inherits a state facing persistent housing and energy costs, homelessness and looming budget deficits. Newsom leaves office amid continued speculation about a 2028 presidential bid. Becerra will be sworn in as California's 41st governor in January 2027.