Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor, is projected to advance to the November general election after securing a top-two finish in the state primary. He is expected to face Democrat Xavier Becerra in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. – Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons.
SACRAMENTO — Steve Hilton, a Republican former television commentator and policy adviser, is projected to advance to California’s November governor’s race, giving the state GOP a statewide standard-bearer in the contest to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Hilton secured the second spot in California’s top-two primary and is expected to face Democrat Xavier Becerra in the Nov. 3 general election. The outcome turns a crowded primary into a clear partisan contest over California’s direction after Newsom.
Under California’s election system, all candidates for voter-nominated offices appear on the same primary ballot, and the two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party preference. The results remain unofficial while ballots are counted and verified during the state’s canvass period.
Hilton’s advancement is significant for California Republicans, who have struggled for years to compete in statewide races in a state where Democrats hold a large registration advantage. His candidacy gives the party a prominent voice in a fall campaign expected to focus heavily on affordability, housing costs, homelessness, public safety, energy prices and regulation.
A former Fox News host and former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Hilton has campaigned as an outsider challenging Democratic control in Sacramento. He has argued that California’s high cost of living and persistent quality-of-life concerns require a sharp change in state leadership.
Hilton also enters the general election with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, a factor likely to energize conservative voters while giving Democrats a familiar contrast in a state where Trump remains deeply unpopular among many voters.
Becerra, a former California attorney general, former member of Congress and former U.S. health and human services secretary, begins the general election with long experience in state and federal government and the advantage of running as a Democrat in one of the nation’s bluest states.
For Hilton, the task now is to turn Republican enthusiasm and broader voter frustration into a statewide coalition. For California Republicans, his place on the November ballot offers a rare opportunity to test whether concerns over the cost and management of life in California can expand the party’s reach beyond its traditional base.
The race now gives voters a direct choice between Becerra’s record in government and Hilton’s argument for disruption from outside Sacramento.
