By Jeanne Kuang for CalMatters
Originally published on June 2, 2026
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton were leading in the race for California governor in early returns Tuesday night, a nailbiter befitting the most unsettled gubernatorial race in recent memory.
The two were essentially tied with about 26% support with about 37% of votes counted statewide.
It could be days or weeks before votes are completely tallied. Democrat Tom Steyer, who polls showed was locked in a tight battle with Hilton for second place behind Becerra, was behind in early returns, drawing less than 20% of the vote.
Democratic former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa conceded his loss shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan followed with a concession shortly after. Both ran as moderates in a crowded field of Democrats.
The two candidates with the most votes in the all-party primary election advance to the general election in November, regardless of party.
Tuesday’s election concluded a long and winding campaign in which Democrats struggled to pick a new leader for the nation’s most populous blue state.
The decision comes at a particularly consequential time for California. Residents face a crushing cost of living, nation-topping gas prices made worse by the war in Iran, wildfire risks that have driven insurance companies out of state, an unstable state budget, impending federal cuts to the state’s expansive health system and an economy dampened by immigration enforcement.
The seat is considered a shoo-in in November for Democrats, who have nearly twice as many registered voters as Republicans, and holds national importance for the Democratic Party’s pushback to the Trump administration.
Becerra, the former state attorney general who has promised to fight President Donald Trump and freeze insurance and utility rates, is favored by much of the state’s Democratic establishment.
Hilton, a Trump-endorsed former Fox News host who has vowed to cut income taxes and slash environmental regulations, was polling in second place ahead of Election Day, having consolidated support from many of the state’s conservatives.
But billionaire climate activist Steyer, a progressive Democrat who has self-funded his campaign to the tune of $213 million, was still fighting for one of the top spots. A series of polls released in the final days of the race showed Becerra in the lead with roughly a quarter of likely voters’ support, and Steyer and Hilton locked in a tight battle for second.
Pollsters and strategists noted that lingering Democratic uncertainty led some voters to wait so they could back whoever appears to be ahead.
The race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, has been one of the most unusually open races in recent state history.
“Those polls could become self-fulfilling,” said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist whose company tracks ballot return data.
A race-changing endorsement
Trump’s endorsement of Hilton quickly helped him pull away from fellow Republican and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco in recent months, making it unlikely both Republicans would come in first and second as Democrats had feared in the spring.
Affordability has dominated the race. Both Hilton and Steyer have spent the final weeks of the campaign portraying Becerra as a symbol of the status quo and themselves as agents of systemic change.
Hilton promised to end 16 years of “one-party rule” under Democrats, to slash spending and reverse many liberal policies such as greenhouse gas reduction mandates, the progressive tax system and parts of the social safety net.
Steyer styled himself as a populist “class traitor” who would force lower costs for Californians by taking on monied special interests like investor-owned utilities, the real estate industry and health insurance corporations. He made a litany of progressive promises on climate change, single-payer health care and raising taxes on the wealthy.
Both he and Steyer have spent the final weeks of the campaign portraying Becerra as a symbol of the status quo and themselves as agents of systemic change amid multiple state crises, with affordability dominating the race.
Becerra has not proposed policies that are major departures from Newsom’s terms. Instead, he has emphasized his long experience in government, including his lawsuits against the first Trump administration and his time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary during the pandemic.
Steyer styled himself as a populist “class traitor” who would force lower costs for Californians by taking on monied special interests like investor-owned utilities, the real estate industry and health insurance corporations. He made a litany of progressive promises on climate change, single-payer health care and raising taxes on the wealthy.
Becerra has emphasized his long experience in government, including his lawsuits against the first Trump administration and his time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary during the pandemic.
Ryan Sabalow contributed reporting.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
