Steve Hilton, President Donald Trump’s pick for California governor, will advance to a November runoff with Xavier Becerra, according to the Associated Press.
After a crowded race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Republican Brit has emerged in second position behind the former Biden Cabinet secretary, beating billionaire businessman-turned-climate advocate Tom Steyer. AP called that Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election for California governor Friday night.
With 88% of the vote counted as of Tuesday afternoon, a week after Election Day, Becerra leads with 27.9%, Hilton came in second with 24.9% and Steyer trailed behind in third with 22.6% of the vote.
“What an incredible honor to be chosen by Californians to lead the movement for change in the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth,” Hilton said in a statement after the result was announced. “There’s nowhere better than California. But a majority of Californians – 56% in a recent poll – believe our state is on the wrong track and needs change. That is the majority we will now have the honor of leading to victory in November, and I can’t wait to get started on the most high-energy campaign this state has ever seen. Change is Coming!”
He also immediately went on offense against Becerra, calling him “the ultimate career politician.”
“After 36 years in the political machine, his policies gave California the highest poverty rate, the highest unemployment rate, and the highest cost of living in America. Now he promises ‘no change’ to those policies,” Hilton said. “If the political establishment could build the perfect puppet to protect itself, it would be Xavier Becerra.”
Final debate appearances saw a crowded race for the Democrats with seven candidates splitting votes. The Republican vote was split amongst the former Fox News commentator and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
California holds a nonpartisan primary race to determine the top two candidates for governor, typically advancing two Democratic candidates. Hilton securing second place now divides the race down party lines. A Republican has not won the governor’s office in California in two decades.
Hilton immigrated to California from the United Kingdom in 2012. The first-time politician is best known as a former political adviser to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021.
Though the Republican candidate was endorsed by President Trump, he pushed back against his claims of election fraud in the state on CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront.”
While Hilton made it clear that he was frustrated with the Golden State’s slow counting process, noting there were “so many things wrong with the system,” he refused to co-sign Trump’s voter fraud theory.
“I’ve been saying all along that we take it very seriously because we don’t want to let people down,” Hilton told Burnett. “And we’re being very vigilant on it. We’re keeping an eye on it. We’ve got teams standing by, lawyers standing by. And, actually, it’s the same answer that I’ve been giving for a few days now. We’ve seen nothing that would give us cause to intervene in that way.”
Hilton also told the CNN host that he was secure a runoff spot for November, telling CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront” that rival Steyer was “not getting the numbers he needs to catch up with us.”
Per Hilton, his campaign advancing to the November runoff election meant California voters would “be able to choose change.”
“Change from 16 years that have given us these terrible results,” he added. “The highest cost of living in the country … that’s the substantive point that matters here, that in November there will be a real choice.”
His Democratic competitor Becerra had the most political experience of the gubernatorial frontrunners. He previously served as the California attorney general from 2017 to 2021 and a U.S. representative for the state from 1993 to 2017. Most recently he was the health and human services secretary for former President Joe Biden.
Steyer endorsed Becerra in his concession statement, saying: “For now, we must stay focused. Donald Trump is the embodiment of the corporations’ craven, soulless, profit-first model of politics, and it is absolutely essential that his handpicked candidate does not hold the keys to California. It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not.”
The top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election in November. The winner will replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot run again because of term limits and is considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028.
