The race to succeed Gavin Newsom as the next Governor of California has officially intensified following the closure of primary voting booths. Early returns signal a highly competitive, top-two runoff dynamic dominated by distinct ideological agendas, high-stakes personal spending, and shifting partisan strategies.
With 50% of the expected vote reporting, the primary results indicate a tight race at the top of the ticket:
Steve Hilton (R): 27% (1,155,760 votes)
Xavier Becerra (D): 26% (1,111,354 votes)
Tom Steyer (D): 20%
Chad Bianco (R): 11%
All other candidates currently trail with under 10% of the total vote. The initial numbers forced immediate consolidations within both major parties, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa exited the race early in the evening, followed shortly by a concession from former Representative Katie Porter.
The Front-Runners and the Battle for the Second Runoff Spot
Under California's nonpartisan blanket primary system, the top two vote-getters—regardless of party affiliation—advance to the general election. While late polling consistently positioned former California Attorney General and federal HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra at the front, the identity of his general election opponent remains fluid.
The immediate battle centers on whether the state will see a traditional Democrat-versus-Republican matchup or a dual-Democrat runoff between Becerra and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer.
Key Candidates and Core Platforms
Steve Hilton (R)
Hilton, a former Fox News host and former strategy director to British Prime Minister David Cameron, has successfully consolidated a significant portion of the conservative electorate. Gaining U.S. citizenship in 2021, Hilton’s platform leans heavily on economic deregulation and border security. He has publically attributed California's housing affordability crisis to state climate regulations and strongly aligns himself with federal immigration enforcement measures, positioning himself as a distinct voice for the state's legal immigrant communities.
Xavier Becerra (D)
Becerra is running primarily on a platform emphasizing institutional experience and his defensive legal record. Having served as a U.S. Congressman, California Attorney General, and the first Latino Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden, Becerra’s campaign focuses heavily on expanding affordable housing, strengthening healthcare access, and protecting reproductive and immigrant rights.
Tom Steyer (D)
Steyer has injected substantial financial resources into the race, contributing over $216 million of his personal fortune. His platform targets corporate and systemic tax reform, including a proposed 5% wealth tax and structural changes to Proposition 13 to close tax loopholes for commercial real estate properties. Steyer argues that stabilizing housing and healthcare costs is critical to maintaining California's competitive corporate landscape.
Chad Bianco (R) & Tony Thurmond (D)
Other notable candidates continue to hold distinct segments of the electorate:
Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, has maintained an anti-establishment populist platform, explicitly rejecting the label of a career politician. Despite calls from within his party to withdraw and endorse Hilton to consolidate the Republican vote, Bianco has maintained his candidacy.
Tony Thurmond, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has resisted pressure from party leadership to drop out. Thurmond has publicly criticized calls for single-digit candidates to withdraw, arguing that such maneuvers disproportionately sideline candidates of color and undermine democratic primary participation.
As ballot counting continues across the state, election officials will monitor whether late-arriving mail-in ballots shift the narrow margin between Hilton and Becerra, or provide enough momentum to elevate Steyer into the decisive second runoff position.
