Steve Hilton advances to face Xavier Becerra in California governor general election

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton secured the second spot in California’s top-two primary, setting up a November general election against Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. health secretary. Hilton, endorsed by President Trump, finished with 25% of the estimated vote with 89% of ballots counted, while Becerra led at 27.9%, the Associated Press reported.

Hilton’s path to the general election was bolstered by a fractured Democratic field. Billionaire activist Tom Steyer placed third with a significant share of the vote, and former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out after sexual misconduct and assault allegations, which he denied through a lawyer. A crowded field of Democrats split the vote, allowing Hilton, who had briefly polled alongside Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the top two Republican candidates, to consolidate GOP support.

California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates regardless of party compete and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. For a time this spring, Hilton and Bianco — both Republicans — were the leading candidates, raising the possibility of an all-Republican general election. Trump’s endorsement of Hilton helped consolidate the Republican vote, according to Wall Street Journal reporting.

Hilton, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, faces a steep challenge in the general election in a state where registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans. Mail-in voting, which California relies on heavily, extends the counting period; state law requires election officials to verify and count every ballot postmarked by Election Day that arrives within a week afterward.

Becerra, who served as California attorney general before leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Biden, enters the general election as the front-runner in a heavily Democratic state. The race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom will test whether a Republican can gain traction in California’s electoral landscape despite the partisan disadvantage.