Democrat Xavier Becerra wins California governor's race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who ran on his decades of experience in public office, will take over from California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the next governor of the nation’s most populous state.

The victory by Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration official, ensures California and the White House will remain adversaries for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Becerra repeatedly tied his opponent, Republican Steve Hilton, to the president and promised to defend California against Trump’s policies on everything from immigration to voting rights.

“If anyone wants to come after California or any one Californian, they better be ready for a fight,” Becerra said Tuesday night in front of a crowd near Sacramento.

Becerra argued he was best positioned for the job after serving more than 35 years in state and federal office, including as a congressman and health secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration. Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, has never held elected office.

Becerra will be California’s first Latino governor since the late 19th century.

He sustained Democrats’ 16-year winning streak in statewide California elections, which Hilton tried to break by arguing one-party rule was to blame for the state’s high cost of living and homelessness crisis. He argued Becerra would prolong his party’s failure to adequately address homelessness.

“This is what you get with one-party rule,” Hilton said at a news conference before Election Day. “You get a bunch of people in charge who think that they can get away with anything.”

He said after losing to Becerra that “the change we hoped for may be delayed, but the change is coming.”

The state Democratic leadership is likely to face greater scrutiny if Newsom, who was barred from seeking a third term, embarks on a bid for the presidency.

A chaotic primary gave way to a low-key general election matchup

The two candidates emerged from a large primary field with half a dozen prominent Democrats and two notable Republicans.

Becerra wasn’t considered a top contender for the first months of his campaign. He admitted at a recent rally that his campaign was “an afterthought, maybe even a punchline” at the time.

That changed when former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been viewed as a front-runner, dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following allegations he sexually assaulted several women. He’s denied the accusations. His departure caused the party establishment and voters to look for a more reliable alternative, and they found one in Becerra.

He sought to take advantage of Trump’s deep unpopularity in the state by tying Hilton to Trump, noting the president has endorsed the Republican. Becerra’s campaign launched a website that lists quotes of Hilton expressing support for the president and his policies. The site includes illustrations of the two Republicans standing side by side.

Most voters who said the economy was the top issue facing the country supported Becerra, who also won the vast majority of voters who said the state of democracy was the top issue facing the country, according to The AP Voter Poll.

Becerra also won a majority of voters who said the cost of living was “crucial” for their vote for Congress or said government corruption was “crucial.”

Hilton tried to break through by releasing splashy ads, sometimes with AI-generated content, to encourage voters who typically choose Democrats to try something new. He also tried to appeal to the public by making ambitious promises, including pledging to abolish the DMV and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon, a rate the state hasn’t seen in years.

Becerra will be state’s 1st Latino governor in over a century

Becerra was born in Sacramento to a mother from Mexico and a father who was born in California and raised in Mexico. He’s made appealing to Latino voters a key part of his campaign strategy, including by releasing ads and social media posts in Spanish.

“I’m running to be what the haters fear most: a proud son of immigrants with a law degree and a union card governing America’s most diverse and successful state,” Becerra said at a recent rally.