Steve Hilton Surges Into California Governor Race to Face Xavier Becerra in High Stakes November Showdown

Republican candidate Steve Hilton has advanced to California’s gubernatorial general election, setting up a November contest against former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra after a closely contested top-two primary, as reported by The Post Millennial.

According to a projection from Decision Desk HQ, Hilton earned one of the two spots available under California’s election system, which advances the highest two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

Decision Desk HQ projects Steve Hilton wins the second of two spots in the CA Governor Top-Two Primary #DecisionMade: 8:37 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/VDwoKFUcLr

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 9, 2026

The race remained competitive throughout the vote-counting process, with several prominent candidates vying for a place on the November ballot.

On election night, Hilton narrowly led the field, receiving 27.8 percent of the vote. Becerra followed closely behind with 25.4 percent.

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Billionaire activist Tom Steyer finished in third place with 19.6 percent of the vote. Other candidates, including Rep. Katie Porter and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, divided much of the remaining support among voters.

The gubernatorial contest saw major changes during the campaign after Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had previously been viewed as a leading contender, withdrew from the race following the resurfacing of sexual assault allegations.

Swalwell has denied the accusations.

Following Swalwell’s departure, Becerra appeared to gain support among Democratic voters and emerged as one of the leading candidates in the primary.

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His advancement to the general election sets up a high-profile matchup between two candidates offering sharply different visions for the state.

Hilton, a former Fox News host and political commentator, centered his campaign on several issues that have become focal points in California politics.

His platform emphasized reducing regulations, lowering gas prices, reforming the state’s education system, and increasing efforts to combat crime and government fraud.

Despite receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Hilton faced competition within the Republican electorate.

pic.twitter.com/VNVjAqOFpt

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 9, 2026

Chad Bianco remained in the race through primary day, creating a split among conservative voters and forcing Hilton to spend the final weeks of the campaign encouraging Republicans to rally behind a single candidate.

The result positions Hilton as the leading Republican challenger in a state where Democrats have dominated statewide elections for years.

The November election is expected to draw national attention as Republicans seek to make gains in California while Democrats work to maintain control of the governor’s office.

The primary election also produced a significant development in Los Angeles politics.

Earlier Monday, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman secured a place in the city’s mayoral runoff after moving ahead of Spencer Pratt during the extended vote-counting process.

Pratt had maintained a lead on election night and remained ahead for several days as ballots continued to be counted.

However, late-arriving mail-in ballots ultimately pushed Raman into second place, allowing her to advance to the November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

The outcome creates a contest between two Democrats and concludes one of California’s most closely watched local races.

Pratt’s campaign attracted national attention after the political outsider surged into contention amid growing voter concerns over homelessness, affordability, public safety, and the city’s handling of the 2025 wildfires.

With both the governor’s race and Los Angeles mayoral contest now set, California voters will head toward a November election season featuring several high-profile battles that could shape the state’s political direction for years to come.

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