Steve Hilton advances in California governor’s race, to face Xavier Becerra

A Trump-backed Republican just punched his ticket to the California governor’s race — and for the first time in years, conservatives have a real shot at flipping the nation’s most liberal state.

Story Highlights

Steve Hilton finished in the top two of California’s all-party primary and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra in November.
Hilton earned more than 1.9 million votes, setting a new record for a Republican candidate in a California gubernatorial primary.
President Trump and Vice President Vance both backed Hilton, energizing conservative voters across the state.
Becerra, a former Biden cabinet secretary and California attorney general, enters the general election as the structural favorite in a heavily Democratic state.

Hilton Breaks Through in California Primary

Steve Hilton secured one of the two spots in California’s November governor’s race after finishing in the top two of the June 2026 all-party primary. The Associated Press and NBC News both projected his advancement. ^[3] He will face Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, in the general election. ^[1] The race to replace term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is now set.

Hilton’s vote total set a new record for a Republican candidate in a California gubernatorial primary. ^[9] That is a significant marker in a state where Democrats hold a massive registration advantage. President Trump urged his supporters to vote for Hilton on primary day, and Vice President Vance also lent his support. ^[12] That kind of top-level backing helped drive turnout and gave Hilton’s campaign a national profile heading into November.

Who Is Steve Hilton?

Hilton is a British-born American conservative commentator and former Fox News host. ^[5] He previously worked as a political adviser in the United Kingdom before moving to California. His campaign focused on issues that resonate with frustrated voters — high taxes, a broken housing market, overregulation, and what he calls a dysfunctional state government. ^[11] He also raised concerns about California’s slow ballot-counting process and called for election system reforms. ^[4]

Hilton’s outsider status is both a strength and a challenge. Voters fed up with decades of one-party Democratic rule in California may see him as a fresh voice. His campaign platform targets the same failures conservatives nationwide have been pointing to — runaway spending, high cost of living, and policies that put ideology ahead of results. ^[11] For many Californians who feel left behind, that message lands hard.

The Road Ahead Is Steep — But Not Impossible

Politico was blunt about the math, calling it a “high likelihood” that Becerra will win in November because of California’s “lopsidedly Democratic electorate.” ^[2] That is a fair read of the numbers. Democrats, labor unions, and party donors are now free to pour resources into the general election. ^[2] Becerra carries institutional weight — he served as California’s attorney general and as a cabinet secretary under President Biden. ^[3]

Republican Steve Hilton has advanced to the general election for California governor after making the case that the state desperately needs new leadership following more than 15 years of Democratic dominance.https://t.co/cBF7oylRgx

— FOX26 News (@KMPHFOX26) June 10, 2026

Still, Hilton’s record primary vote total shows that conservative energy in California is not dead. ^[9] Millions of Californians are tired of high housing costs, rising crime, failing schools, and a government that seems more focused on left-wing causes than basic results. Hilton is giving those voters a reason to show up in November. Whether that coalition is big enough to win is the question — but for the first time in a long time, the race is worth watching.