The California governor race has taken an unexpected turn, with Xavier Becerra emerging as the front-rununner and Steve Hilton likely to be his November opponent. The primary election, held on June 2, 2026, saw a dramatic shift in the political landscape, with Becerra’s rise to the top of a crowded field of 61 candidates.

The race for governor has been unlike any other in the post-World War II era, with no natural frontrunner and a field that narrowed itself down to 10 serious candidates. Becerra, a former congressman, attorney general, and Biden administration cabinet member, has been one of the most surprising success stories of the campaign.

The Road to the Top

Becerra’s journey to the top of the Democratic heap has been a remarkable one. Just two months ago, he was merely one of several politicians in the lower tier with just a 4% share of support in an April 5 tracking poll by the state Democratic Party. However, by mid-April, he had shot up to the top of the Democratic heap, tied at 13% with Tom Steyer in a later poll.

From then on, it was a one-on-one duel with Steyer. Despite his rival’s ceaseless barrage of personal invective, Becerra continued to gain and by the last pre-election Democratic tracking poll on May 16, he led Steyer 21% to 15%. While it’s still arithmetically possible for Steyer to claim one of the top two positions, nothing in the overnight results pointed in that direction.

The Impact of Steyer’s Spending

Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democrat, spent more than $200 million on his primary campaign, much of it on TV and internet ads that portrayed Becerra as incompetent or potentially corrupt. If given the chance, he would spend even more on attacks. However, despite Steyer’s massive spending, Becerra has managed to maintain his lead.

Becerra’s rise to the top has been one of many unforeseen aspects of a campaign unlike any other we’ve seen in the post-World War II era. The field narrowed itself down to 10 serious candidates, with Becerra emerging as the front-runner.

The Likely November Showdown

As votes were counted throughout the night, Becerra and Hilton ran neck-to-neck with shares in the mid-20% range – Hilton slightly ahead this morning – while Steyer was about seven or eight percentage points behind. Late Tuesday night, appearing before a throng of cheering supporters in Los Angeles, Becerra came close to declaring himself a primary winner.

He portrayed himself, if winning in November, as a working-class governor with a law degree and a union card. He also would be California’s only Latino governor in the state’s modern era and thus a symbolic figure for the state’s largest ethnic group, which he celebrated by delivering some of his remarks in Spanish.

The Challenges Ahead

The next governor will face a structural deficit that’s projected to reach $35 billion in a few years and will also face a hostile administration in Washington, D.C., led by President Donald Trump. Even without those obstacles, the incoming governor will be confronted by ongoing challenges, including the state’s high housing and gasoline prices, homelessness, and wildfire risk.

Becerra cites fighting Trump as a top priority. He points to his time as California attorney general during Trump’s first term, when his office sued the president more than 120 times and won most of those cases, including protecting the Affordable Care Act, so-called Dreamer immigrants, and the state’s sanctuary immigration law.

The Candidates and Their Positions

The California governor race has seen a variety of candidates with different backgrounds and policy positions. From former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra to businessman Steve Hilton, the field has been diverse. Other notable candidates include Democratic activist and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, and former U.S. representative Katie Porter.

Each candidate has brought their unique perspective to the race, with Becerra focusing on fighting Trump and protecting the state’s sanctuary immigration law. Hilton, on the other hand, has Trump’s endorsement and says he will make sure California works with, not against, the president. Porter points to her tough questioning of Trump administration officials as a member of Congress as proof of her ability to stand up to the president.

Steyer is an avowed Trump critic and has spent millions of dollars of his own money to push for the president’s impeachment. He is calling out rising gas prices and their connection to the war in Iran. Bianco, who famously endorsed the president’s 2026 campaign, says voters should trust elections but is in the middle of a court battle over the sheriff’s office’s unprecedented seizure of 650,000 Riverside County ballots from last November’s statewide special election.