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- October 21, 202613°
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Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton Win California Gubernatorial Primary
In California's open gubernatorial primary, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton secured the top two spots, advancing to the November general election. Among 62 candidates, Tom Steyer finished third, narrowing the race to these two contenders.
Following the closely watched open gubernatorial primary in California, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton advanced to the general election in November. This narrowed the race for the seat of the state's two-term Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom to just these two candidates.
As vote counting proceeded slowly, unclear allegations of irregularities also surfaced. According to the election results, Becerra received 27.9% of the vote, while Hilton garnered 25%.
California's Open Primary System
Since 2011, California has implemented an open primary system where voters can choose among candidates statewide regardless of party affiliation. This system sometimes results in two candidates from the same party advancing to the general election.
A total of 62 candidates appeared on the ballot in this race. Becerra stood out as a former state attorney general and a former Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Biden administration. Hilton was a Republican candidate and former Fox News host who received support from Donald Trump.
Vote Distribution That Decided the Election
Billionaire businessman and climate activist Tom Steyer placed third, receiving 22.5% of the vote. Steyer, who also ran in the 2020 presidential race, was a significant contender.
Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, who had been leading for a time, withdrew in April. Swalwell later left Congress following allegations of sexual assault.
Donations and Campaign Dynamics
Before the race, major donors, interest groups, and corporations spent heavily to influence the outcome. After Swalwell's withdrawal, a significant portion of the Democratic base consolidated around Becerra.
Becerra also received substantial support from oil and gas companies, which reportedly spent millions of dollars in his favor and against his Democratic rivals.
Steyer ran a campaign promising to phase out fossil fuels and refused donations from the industry, contributing over $200 million of his own funds to his campaign.
Silicon Valley Support Did Not Yield Expected Results
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan entered the race late with backing from the tech-heavy region and was among the top spenders on his campaign. Despite millions in donations from companies like Google, Amazon, and Palantir, Mahan received less than 4% of the vote.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco received about 10% of the vote, while former Democratic Representative Katie Porter secured just over 4%.
Attention Now Turns to November
Becerra and Hilton will face off in November to become California's next governor. However, given Trump's low popularity in the state, Hilton is expected to face a challenging path ahead.
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