California governor race turns on affordability and political experience

Hilton’s $3 gas pledge contrasts with Becerra’s governing record

California voters are choosing Tuesday between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton for governor of the nation’s most populous state. The race places the high cost of living and the value of political experience alongside President Donald Trump’s influence. Becerra’s campaign has tied Hilton to the president, who endorsed the Republican, as the candidates present different arguments about the state’s needs.

The winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot seek a third term but is considering a White House run. Mail voting has been underway for nearly a month. Democrats account for roughly 45% of registered voters in California, compared with Republicans’ 25%, and Hilton faces steep odds.

Becerra, a former state attorney general, has promised to reaffirm California’s status as a liberal counterweight to the Trump administration’s Republican policies. He also served in Congress and as U.S. health secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration, and argues that more than 35 years in politics and government make him best positioned for the job. Becerra said at a CNN debate in September that the state needed a leader who could keep the “California dream” alive. “You can’t do it with someone who’s never served, who’s never balanced a budget the size of California, who’s never actually been there to defend people against the tyrant like Donald Trump,” he said.

Hilton, a former political adviser in the United Kingdom and Fox News host, has never held elected office. He has pitched himself as a fresh face ready to set the state back on track after 15 years of Democratic leadership and has tried to turn his lack of political experience into an asset. At the debate, Hilton said, “This is the most amazing state and the most amazing country on Earth, and it’s because we’ve got this rebel spirit.” He added, “That spirit is being crushed by this bloated, nanny-state bureaucratic government that Xavier has been a part of for 36 years.”

Affordability is central to Hilton’s pitch. Hilton argues that the more experienced Democrats who have been in charge have left Californians struggling to afford gas, housing and a college degree. His proposals include abolishing the DMV and cutting gas prices to $3 a gallon, a rate the state has not seen in years. Hilton’s promise of change has resonated with some voters. Richard Hartman, an independent voter living outside Sacramento who works in the construction industry, said he was leaning toward voting for Hilton to bring balance to the Democrat-dominated state. Hartman said he was particularly concerned about homelessness and the high cost of living. “Nothing works without balance,” Hartman said. “You can’t stand on one leg and walk around. You have to have two feet, and I think that’s the same thing in politics.”

The two candidates emerged from a large primary field with half a dozen prominent Democrats and two notable Republicans. Becerra was not considered a top contender during the first months of his campaign. That changed when former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been viewed as a front-runner, dropped out and resigned from Congress after allegations that he sexually assaulted several women; Swalwell has denied the accusations. The Associated Press reported that Swalwell’s departure caused the party establishment and voters to look for a more reliable alternative, and they found one in Becerra.

Since then, Becerra has run a relatively low-key campaign, holding far fewer public events and press availabilities than Hilton. Becerra’s campaign has tied Hilton to Trump, who endorsed the Republican, and launched a website listing quotes from Hilton expressing support for President Trump and his policies. The site includes illustrations of the two Republicans standing side by side. Hilton, meanwhile, has released splashy advertisements, sometimes with AI-generated content, to encourage voters who typically choose Democrats to try something new.

As a separate background issue, the Associated Press reported that the Trump administration sought to sow distrust in California’s election system by alleging that up to 20,000 noncitizens could be registered to vote. The Department of Justice sued California to stop officials from counting ballots cast by those people. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the administration’s demand on Monday after several lower courts also sided with California. State and local election officials said they follow federal law and that the federal government’s numbers are likely inflated. Election experts said voting by noncitizens is rare and has not been shown to change the outcome of elections.

Both candidates highlight their families’ immigrant stories. Hilton’s parents fled communism in Hungary and settled in the United Kingdom, where Hilton was born. Hilton advised former Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California in 2012. A Hilton victory would make him the first immigrant to serve as governor since Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011. Becerra was born in Sacramento to a mother from Mexico and a father who was born in California and raised in Mexico. Becerra has made appealing to Latino voters a key campaign strategy, including releasing advertisements and social media posts in Spanish. A Becerra victory would make him California’s first Latino governor since the late 19th century.

That background has appealed to some Californians with Mexican heritage, including Joy Torrez, a Democratic retiree in Sacramento who planned to vote for Becerra. “I’ve read about him, and I’m really pleased,” Torrez said.