By Daniel Trotta
June 2 (Reuters) – Republican television commentator Steve Hilton and Democratic former cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra took the early lead in the open primary race for California governor Tuesday, seeming to emerge as favorites to advance to the November 3 general election.
If the results hold, it would set up a classic race of Democrat versus Republican, after each party had hopes of taking the two spots in the “jungle primary,” in which candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot. The two leading candidates advance, regardless of party.
California’s next governor, who will succeed Democrat Gavin Newsom who is limited to two terms, will take charge of a $4 trillion economy—among the world’s largest—while confronting deep challenges on water, affordability and homelessness.
With 76.1% of election night precincts partially reporting, Hilton was ahead with 26.9% of the vote and Becerra had 25.7%, according to official results. Each had more than 1.1 million votes, with Becerra about 49,000 votes behind.
Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer trailed them with 19.8%, nearly 260,000 votes behind.
Of the dozens of other candidates on the ballot, none cracked double digits.
Becerra is a former state attorney general and U.S. congressman from Los Angeles who was secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. If he were to prevail in November, he would become the first Latino elected governor in a state where 40% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
Appearing before his supporters, Becerra mixed Spanish into what sounded like a victory speech.
“While I take nothing for granted – there are lots of ballots left to be counted – it appears that we are on track to advance to November,” he said to cheers. “One step closer to the son of those hardworking immigrants, Maria and Manuel Becerra, becoming the next governor of the great state of California.”
Hilton is a British-born former Fox News host who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Once an adviser to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, he became a U.S. citizen in 2021.
He campaigned against the Democrats’ record on homelessness, affordability and government regulations in a state where Republicans have been shut out of statewide office since former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s term ended in January 2011.
Sounding triumphant in an appearance before his supporters, he suggested he could follow Schwarzenegger as yet another immigrant to become governor.
“California, what an incredible honor. The first time I’ve run for office, over a million people rising, voting for me this time with a funny accent,” Hilton said, before leading the crowd in chants of “Change is coming!”
The Democratic field appeared to coalesce around Becerra after former frontrunner Eric Swalwell left the race and resigned from the U.S. Congress in April following accusations of sexual assault from a former staffer. Swalwell denied the allegations.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took the early lead in her re-election bid against a field of more than a dozen challengers amid voter concerns over homelessness, affordability and the aftermath of the devastating 2025 wildfires.
Bass, a Democrat, had 36.5% of the vote, followed by Republican reality television personality Spencer Pratt with 29.5%.
Like the governor’s primary, the mayoral contest groups all parties on the same ballot with the top two finishers going through to November.
Bass was challenged within her party by City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who was running third with 21%.
Meanwhile, the primary marks the first major test of a new congressional map that could turn the midterm contest into a high-stakes battle with control of Congress at stake.
After U.S. President Donald Trump urged Texas last year to draw new district maps designed to pick up five more Republican seats, Newsom counterpunched by shepherding through a voter initiative aimed at swinging five California seats into the Democratic column.
Under California’s formerly independent redistricting, Democrats already held a 43-9 advantage within the state’s congressional delegation.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Michael Learmonth, Jamie Freed, Lincoln Feast and Bernadette Baum)
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