Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra emerged as the top two finishers in California's gubernatorial primary on Wednesday morning, positioning themselves for a November showdown to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in the nation's most populous state.
Unofficial early returns showed Hilton and Becerra ahead of a field that included 61 candidates, though votes were still being counted and mail and provisional ballots remained to be tallied. If the results hold, Hilton would become the first Republican to reach a California gubernatorial general election since Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election in 2006.
That prospect alone marks a seismic shift in a state where Democrats have dominated statewide races for nearly two decades, and where recent polling had suggested Republicans could be locked out entirely.
Hilton, a one-time British political strategist turned American conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host, spoke to supporters at his primary night watch party in Orange County. He struck a cost-of-living message that has defined his campaign.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hilton framed his showing as a mandate for a new direction:
"Change is coming to California, and it's long overdue."
He told supporters that speaking "honest, simple truths" had powered his campaign through a crowded and expensive primary.
"Everything is too expensive in California. We're going to cut people's costs."
Hilton also nodded to the broader Republican coalition he hopes to build in a state where the GOP has struggled to compete. He referenced a conversation with Schwarzenegger, who he said urged him a few years ago to wear a blazer lining featuring American and California flags. On primary night, Hilton obliged.
"Arnold, I did that for you."
Looking ahead, Hilton struck a collaborative tone, telling the crowd he envisions working with President Donald Trump to deliver results for California residents.
"We're going to be working together when I'm governor to bring positive changes to California. And I think that's something everyone can get behind."
Hilton's path to the top of the primary was not always clear. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco launched his own gubernatorial campaign in April of last year and was among the top Republican contenders for months. But Trump's endorsement of Hilton in early April appeared to blunt Bianco's momentum and consolidate Republican support behind a single candidate.
Hilton spotlighted that endorsement throughout his primary campaign. In a state where public opinion polls have shown Trump to be deeply unpopular, the gamble was real. But Hilton bet that the president's backing would unify the right without costing him the center, and early returns suggest the bet paid off.
On the Democratic side, Becerra, a former California attorney general and Cabinet secretary in former President Biden's administration, celebrated at an election night event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 2. His remarks leaned heavily on opposition to the Trump administration.
"As Governor, I will never back down from the threats of small cowards in big offices. I sued Trump 122 times before and I won, and won, and won. And anyone who wants to come at California will have to go through me."
Becerra also cast his candidacy in historic terms. If elected in November, he would become California's first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco briefly served in 1875.
"More than a Hollywood ending. More than a milestone. That's the everyday miracle of living in a state that makes the improbable seem inevitable. And I couldn't have done it without you."
His rise to the top of the Democratic field was not inevitable. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla both mulled gubernatorial bids last year before announcing they would pass, leaving the Democratic lane without a clear frontrunner for the first time in more than a quarter-century.
The race drew staggering sums. Billionaire hedge fund founder Tom Steyer, who unsuccessfully sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, spent over $200 million of his own money on his gubernatorial bid. More than $80 million in outside money poured into the contest on top of that. Despite the spending, Steyer sat in third place as additional ballots remained to be counted.
The Democratic field was further scrambled earlier this year when Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress after facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he continues to deny. Hilton pointed to the Swalwell fallout as evidence of Democratic arrogance in a state where the party has long taken its dominance for granted.
Swalwell's exit opened the door for first Steyer and then Becerra to rise in the polls. Becerra had already begun consolidating support as other Democratic rivals faltered, and the primary results confirmed his position atop the field.
Other notable Democrats on the ballot included former Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. All six major candidates, Mahan, Becerra, Bianco, Hilton, Steyer, and Porter, appeared together at a gubernatorial debate in San Francisco on April 22.
California's "jungle primary" system puts all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party, with the top two advancing to the general election. That structure has often produced two-Democrat runoffs in recent cycles, shutting Republicans out entirely. The fact that Hilton broke through to claim one of the two spots represents a real achievement for a state GOP that has been written off repeatedly.
The general election matchup sets up a sharp contrast. Hilton will run on cost-of-living relief in a state where housing, energy, and everyday expenses have driven residents to other states in record numbers. His campaign has already targeted specific Newsom-era spending programs as examples of Sacramento waste, and that message will likely sharpen as November approaches.
Becerra, meanwhile, has made clear he intends to run squarely against Trump and frame the governor's race as a referendum on federal policy. His claim of suing Trump 122 times positions him as the resistance candidate in a state where that posture has historically played well.
Results have not been certified. Mail and provisional ballots remain to be counted, and the exact vote totals and percentages have not been released. But the broad contours of the race appear set.
California is not just the most populous state, it is one of the world's largest economies. The governor's office carries weight far beyond Sacramento. For Republicans, a competitive general election in California would represent a breakthrough that seemed unthinkable even months ago. For Democrats, losing the governor's mansion in their deepest-blue fortress would amount to a political earthquake.
The race was overshadowed for much of last year by the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires and by Trump's immigration enforcement actions, which grabbed headlines across the state. Those twin storylines, disaster response and border policy, will almost certainly shape the fall campaign.
Hilton enters November as an underdog in a state that hasn't elected a Republican governor in two decades. But California voters just told both parties something neither expected: they want a choice, not a coronation. Whether Sacramento's ruling class is listening is another question.
