Becerra advances for California governor as Hilton fights Steyer

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Democratic former cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra is on track to advance in California’s governor’s race, setting up a November matchup that will hinge on whether Republican Steve Hilton or billionaire Tom Steyer claims the other run-off spot.

Becerra will advance after he won 26% of the vote with about 60% of estimated ballots counted as of Thursday night, according to a projection by Decision Desk HQ. If elected during the November general election, the former Biden administration health secretary would become California’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s.

The race for the remaining slot is far less settled. Hilton — a Republican and former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump — holds the lead. But campaign officials for Steyer say that late‑arriving mail ballots could still push the billionaire populist into the runoff.

California’s primary system sends the top-two finishers to the November vote regardless of party affiliation.

The race is already the most expensive gubernatorial contest in US history according to AdImpact. More than $300 million has raised or spent, according to campaign finance records tallied by Bloomberg. More than two-thirds came from Steyer, who spent more than $215 million on his own campaign.

Several high-profile names decided not to run, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, while other top party luminaries, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Gavin Newsom, the term-limited incumbent governor widely considered a top presidential contender, didn’t offer an endorsement.

Becerra, 68, began the race near the back of the Democratic pack, lagging in fundraising and polling and facing pressure with other candidates to bow out of the crowded field. His fortunes changed after the early Democratic front-runner, former Congressman Eric Swalwell, dropped out in April following a series of sexual misconduct and assault allegations, which he denies.

California’s count is expected to stretch on for more days. The state relies heavily on mail-in ballots, which can arrive as much as a week late so long as they were mailed on or before election day.

Election experts often point out that later-arriving mail ballots tend to skew Democratic. That has been true again this election so far, as votes counted Wednesday and Thursday boosted Becerra and Steyer’s counts.

The slow pace has drawn criticism from Trump, who this week accused California Democrats on social media of “big cheating” without presenting evidence. He repeated the claim in the Oval Office, saying the state was “rigging the election.”

Newsom’s office responded sharply, saying the president was “lying about California again.”

The US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles sent a lawyer to observe ballot processing at the county election center on Friday, according to Kyle Perez, a spokesperson for the prosecutor.

The visit was a routine walkthrough of election operations, said Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the LA County voting office.

“Ballot processing in Los Angeles County is open to public observation, and election officials routinely host observers representing a wide range of interests,” Sanchez said in an email.

Hilton is out front for the second slot in November’s election with about 27% of the vote, according to the California’s Secretary of State’s returns. Steyer is at roughly 20%, and his campaign insists it still has a path as more ballots are counted.

A November matchup against Hilton would give Becerra a structural advantage: Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one in California, and Trump — Hilton’s most prominent backer — remains deeply unpopular in the state.

If Steyer advances instead, the billionaire would almost certainly enter the next five months of campaigning with a financial edge.

Yet, Becerra now has a chance to try and consolidate the Democratic vote in the nation’s most-populous state before his opponent is known.

--With assistance from Eliyahu Kamisher, Alicia Clanton and Sarah Gray.

(Updates with US Attorney visit to LA ballot center starting in 13th paragraph)