Xavier Becerra Wins California Governor's Race Over Steve Hilton

Democrat Xavier Becerra has won California's governor's race over Republican Steve Hilton, CBS News projected Tuesday night, securing the state's top office and extending Democrats' long hold on the nation's most populous state.^[1]

Becerra, California's attorney general and a former US congressman, will succeed termed-out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and become the first Latino governor to lead the state since Romualdo Pacheco more than 150 years ago.^[1] An October UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll had shown him with a commanding 61% to 34% lead among likely voters, signaling the depth of his advantage in a state where Democrats enjoy a large voter registration edge.^[1]

The race pitted Becerra, a longtime Democratic officeholder who rose through Los Angeles politics and the US House, against Hilton, a Republican media personality and businessman who ran as a Trump-aligned outsider promising a sharp break with California's political establishment. Hilton was endorsed by President Donald Trump, while Becerra campaigned with backing from Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, underscoring how national figures treated the contest as a test of competing visions for the state's future.^[1]

Throughout the campaign, the two candidates drew stark contrasts over how to tackle California's high cost of living, a housing crisis that has priced many residents out of major metro areas, and energy and immigration policies that have often put the state at odds with Republican leaders in Washington. Becerra argued for maintaining and expanding the state's aggressive climate and environmental regulations and preserving protections for undocumented immigrants, while Hilton called for a lighter regulatory touch, tax cuts, and a rollback of some state mandates that he said were fueling high prices and driving businesses and residents to leave.^[1]

Becerra's projected victory means Democrats will retain unified control over California's government, preserving a policy course that has emphasized ambitious climate goals, expanded health coverage, and strong protections for abortion and LGBTQ rights, even as critics question whether the state is doing enough to address homelessness and affordability. At the same time, his election as the first Latino governor since the 19th century adds a milestone in a state where Latinos make up a large share of the population but have been underrepresented at the highest levels of statewide office.^[1]

1. CBS News