Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and former state attorney general and Biden administration official, has won the California governor's race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton and ensuring California and the White House will remain adversaries for the final two years of President Donald Trump's second term.
Becerra, who ran on his decades of public office experience, will take over from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was barred from seeking a third term. He repeatedly tied Hilton to Trump and promised to defend California against the president's policies on immigration and voting rights. He also argued he was best positioned for the job. “In so many ways, this election is a choice between reaching higher for California’s golden dream or descending further down Donald Trump’s golden, infamous escalator,” Becerra said at a recent rally, referencing Trump's 2015 announcement that he’d run for president.
Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron who has never held elected office, tried to break Democrats' 16-year winning streak in statewide elections by arguing one-party rule was to blame for California's high cost of living and homelessness crisis. “This is what you get with one-party rule,” Hilton said at a news conference before Election Day. “You get a bunch of people in charge who think that they can get away with anything.”
Becerra will be California's first Latino governor since the late 19th century. He made appealing to Latino voters a key part of his campaign, releasing ads and social media posts in Spanish. “I’m running to be what the haters fear most: a proud son of immigrants with a law degree and a union card governing America’s most diverse and successful state,” Becerra said at a recent rally.
The two candidates emerged from a large primary field with half a dozen prominent Democrats and two notable Republicans. Becerra was not considered a top contender for the first months of his campaign, admitting at a rally that his campaign was “an afterthought, maybe even a punchline” at the time. That changed when former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been viewed as a front-runner, dropped out and resigned from Congress following allegations he sexually assaulted several women; he has denied the accusations. His departure led the party establishment and voters to look for a more reliable alternative, and they found one in Becerra.
Hilton tried to break through with splashy ads, sometimes using AI-generated content, and made ambitious promises including abolishing the DMV and cutting gas prices to $3 a gallon, a rate the state has not seen in years. Becerra's campaign launched a website listing Hilton's expressions of support for Trump and his policies.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Becerra's victory ensures continued Democratic control of the nation's most populous state, setting up a direct policy challenge to the Trump administration on immigration, voting rights, and other issues.
- As the first Latino governor in over a century, Becerra's win carries historic significance for representation in California and potentially reshapes the state's political dynamics ahead of the next presidential cycle.
- Newsom, barred from a third term, may now pursue a presidential bid, and Becerra's success could influence Democratic strategy nationally.
Background
Becerra served as California attorney general and as health secretary under President Joe Biden before entering the race. Hilton, a political newcomer, had never held elected office and campaigned as an outsider blaming one-party rule for the state's challenges, including homelessness and high living costs. The primary field was chaotic, with front-runner Eric Swalwell dropping out after sexual assault allegations, which he denied.
Key Perspectives
Xavier Becerra (Democrat, Governor-elect): Argued his decades in state and federal office made him best positioned to defend California against Trump's policies and to govern the state's diverse population. He framed the election as a choice between California's aspirations and Trump's agenda.
Steve Hilton (Republican, defeated): Blamed one-party Democratic rule for California's high cost of living and homelessness, and argued Becerra would prolong failures to address these issues. He tied his campaign to breaking the Democrats' 16-year winning streak.
What to Watch
- Whether Newsom mounts a bid for the presidency and how Becerra's administration positions itself in relation to that potential campaign.
- How the new governor prioritises housing, homelessness, and cost-of-living issues, which were central to Hilton's attacks.
- The ongoing legal and policy clashes between California and the Trump administration over immigration, environmental rules, and voting rights.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedXavier Becerra won California’s governor’s race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton.OPB: “Democrat Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton.”
- SupportedBecerra will be California’s first Latino governor in over a century.OPB: “Becerra will be the state’s 1st Latino governor in over a century”
- Partly supportedBecerra’s victory sustains Democrats’ 16-year winning streak.OPB: “He sustained Democrats’ 16-year winning streak in statewide California elections”
- SupportedBecerra’s victory means California and the White House will remain adversaries for the final two years of Donald Trump’s second term.OPB: “The victory by Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration official, ensures California and the White House will remain adversaries for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.”
- SupportedAt a recent rally, Becerra said the election was a choice between reaching higher for California’s golden dream and descending further down Trump’s golden, infamous escalator.OPB: ““In so many ways, this election is a choice between reaching higher for California’s golden dream or descending further down Donald Trump’s golden, infamous escalator,” Becerra said at a recent rally”
- SupportedAt a news conference before Election Day, Hilton said one-party rule meant people in charge thought they could get away with anything.OPB: ““This is what you get with one-party rule,” Hilton said at a news conference before Election Day. “You get a bunch of people in charge who think that they can get away with anything.””
- SupportedAt a recent rally, Becerra said he was running to be a proud son of immigrants with a law degree and a union card governing America’s most diverse and successful state.OPB: ““I’m running to be what the haters fear most: a proud son of immigrants with a law degree and a union card governing America’s most diverse and successful state,” Becerra said at a recent rally.”
- SupportedBecerra made appealing to Latino voters a key part of his campaign, including with Spanish-language ads and social media posts.OPB: “He’s made appealing to Latino voters a key part of his campaign strategy, including by releasing ads and social media posts in Spanish.”
- SupportedEric Swalwell dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted several women.OPB: “Eric Swalwell, who had been viewed as a front-runner, dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following allegations he sexually assaulted several women.”
- SupportedSwalwell denied the accusations.OPB: “He’s denied the accusations.”
- SupportedSwalwell’s departure led the party establishment and voters to seek a more reliable alternative, which they found in Becerra.OPB: “His departure caused the party establishment and voters to look for a more reliable alternative, and they found one in Becerra.”
- SupportedHilton promised to abolish the DMV and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon.OPB: “He also tried to appeal to the public by making ambitious promises, including pledging to abolish the DMV and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon”