SouthernWorldwide.com – Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are currently leading in the unofficial early vote count for California governor, positioning themselves to advance to the November general election.
The race is to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in leading the most populous state in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest economies.
“Change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” Hilton stated to his supporters at his primary night watch party in Orange County.
Becerra, who would be the first Latino governor of California since Romualdo Pacheco’s brief term in 1875 if elected, told his supporters that his campaign’s success signifies “more than a Hollywood ending. More than a milestone. That’s the everyday miracle of living in a state that makes the improbable seem inevitable. And I couldn’t have done it without you.”
California, a state with a dominant Democratic electorate, utilizes a “jungle primary” system. In this system, all candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters proceed to the general election.
Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund founder and environmental activist, was in third place as results were still being tallied. He had previously run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and has invested over $200 million of his personal funds into his gubernatorial bid.
Additional mail-in and provisional ballots are still to be counted, which could impact the final standings.
Other notable candidates on the ballot, which featured a substantial 61 contenders, included Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. Among the Democrats were former Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
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Hilton is aiming to be the first California Republican to win a gubernatorial election since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election in 2006.
During his speech, Hilton revealed the lining of his blazer, adorned with American and California flags. He mentioned that Schwarzenegger had encouraged him to wear it a few years prior, saying, “Arnold, I did that for you.”
Both former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla had considered running for governor as Democrats. However, both announced last year that they would not enter the race, creating a situation with no clear frontrunner for the Golden State’s gubernatorial seat for the first time in over two decades.
The gubernatorial race was largely overshadowed for much of the past year by significant events such as the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area and President Donald Trump’s immigration raids, which captured national headlines in California.
However, the contest for governor gained prominence earlier this year when one of the leading Democratic candidates, Rep. Eric Swalwell, withdrew from the race and subsequently resigned from Congress. This followed multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he continues to deny.
Swalwell’s departure from the gubernatorial race created an opening that allowed both Steyer and then Becerra to gain traction in the polls.
Steyer, who had previously run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, invested more than $200 million of his own money to saturate airwaves and online platforms with his campaign advertisements. In addition to Steyer’s personal spending, over $80 million in outside money has also been spent on the race.
Sheriff Chad Bianco, who launched his gubernatorial campaign in April of the previous year, was among the top contenders. However, his momentum appeared to be affected after President Trump endorsed Hilton in early April.
