Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Democrat Xavier Becerra has advanced to the November runoff in the state’s race for governor, but it remains uncertain who is opponent will be.
As of the latest vote count on the state Secretary of State’s website, Becerra had 27.7% of the vote as of noon June 9. Republican Steve Hilton was second with 25.1% of the vote and Democrat Tom Steyer was in third place, with 22.3% of the vote.
The Associated Press declared June 5 that Becerra had advanced to the general election after he pitched himself as an experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state and succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Becerra leaned on his more than 35 years in public office, including as state attorney general and U.S. health secretary, to argue that he was the most qualified candidate in a crowded field.
Becerra’s first elective office was the state Assembly representing a district that included Montebello, Alhambra, Monterey Park and Pico Rivera in 1990. Two years later he was elected to Congress, representing an East Los Angeles district vacated by a retiring Ed Roybal.
“The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are never backing down. November, here we come.”
Born and raised in Sacramento by Mexican immigrant parents, Becerra has a wife and three daughters. He has said his family’s immigrant background mirrored his “underdog” gubernatorial campaign, in which he initially failed to garner substantial support before surging in the final months.
After one of the top Democratic contenders, Rep. Eric Swalwell, was accused of sexual assault and dropped out of the race, Becerra benefited from an opening to coalesce Democratic support. He quickly racked up key endorsements from labor groups and Latino legislative leaders.
Becerra has vowed to maintain the state’s mantle as a chief antagonist to President Donald Trump. As attorney general, he filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration on everything from immigration to climate policy.
During the campaign, Becerra’s rivals scrutinized his leadership as health secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic and the unaccompanied migrant children crisis in 2021 when Becerra’s Department of Health and Human Services was responsible for shelters where they were housed.
Some of them were criticized as having inadequate living conditions, and there were also concerns about authorities failing to thoroughly vet sponsors with whom some children were placed.
If elected, Becerra said, he would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates.
Though California is one of the nation’s most diverse states, Becerra would be the first Latino to hold the office since the late 1800s.
Hilton, who led the vote county after election night June 2, has only lived in California for 16 years. Originally from England, he worked as a political strategist for former British Prime Minister David Cameron, before moving to the U.S. and serving as a Fox News commentator.
“It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction, a fresh start for our state, which is long overdue,” Hilton told a crowd of supporters election night. “But I just want to say something to every single person who voted for me, and every single person who voted in this election, whether you voted for me or not. I am here for you, for every single one of you.”
Steyer, a billionaire climate activist, poured $215 million of his own money into his campaign. He has detailed plans to reduce gas prices and bring electricity costs down.
“Corporations and billionaires (should) pay more taxes,” he said throughout his campaign. He also has highlighted a desire to generate greater employment in the television and film industry statewide by combating runaway production with stay-at-home incentives, as well by eliminating burdensome regulations.
