California voters will choose between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton this November after the two candidates emerged as the top finishers in the June 2 primary election.
California uses a top-two primary system. The two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Democratic establishment candidate
Becerra secured 28% of the vote, according to the California Secretary of State, while Hilton received nearly 25%. Election results will be certified in July.
Becerra’s advancement capped a dramatic rise in the Governor’s race. CalMatters reported that the former California attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary spent much of the campaign polling in the single digits before gaining momentum after the political collapse of former frontrunner and former East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell and consolidating support from Democratic establishment figures, labor unions, and industry.
At an election-night rally in Los Angeles, Becerra described his near-victory as “the everyday miracle of living in a state that regularly makes the improbable seem inevitable.”
Becerra campaigned largely on his government experience and his record of challenging President Donald Trump in court during Trump’s first administration. According to CalMatters, he has proposed declaring a state of emergency to freeze utility and home insurance rates while investigating rising costs. To address housing affordability, he emphasized enforcing existing housing laws to increase construction.
Becerra would be the first Latino Governor of California since the 19th century.
Fox host turned political adviser
Hilton, a former Fox News host and political adviser in the United Kingdom, led polling for much of the campaign. CalMatters reported he appealed to California voters’ frustration with the Golden State’s high cost of living and regulations. He said he would cut income taxes, the gas tax, expand oil drilling, and roll back environmental regulations.
“My mission is clear: to go to Sacramento, clean up the corruption, cut your costs, help your business, and fix our schools,” he said in a statement. “We can’t keep voting the same way and expect different results.”
The general election will be an uphill battle for Republicans. About 45% of registered voters in California are Democrats. The party outnumbers Republicans by nearly two-to-one. The last Republican Governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who came to office after the recall of Gray Davis in 2003.
Major challenges for next Governor
Governor Gavin Newsom’s successor will inherit major challenges. High housing, utility, and gas prices, wildfire and insurance concerns, and potentially massive federal funding cuts. Other campaign issues have included homelessness, energy policies, and economic uncertainty connected with the federal immigration crackdown.
Alameda County voters leaned more heavily toward Democrats than the state as a whole. Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer received the most votes locally with 137,071 votes, or 33.5%, followed by Becerra with 130,893 votes, or 32%. Hilton finished a distant third with 54,575 votes, or 13.3% of the county vote.
Less than half of Alameda County voters turned out for the primary.
Be the first to comment