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Steve Hilton to Face Xavier Becerra for Governor

June 10, 2026 · 12:15 am ET · Leave a Comment

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton clinched a top spot in California’s gubernatorial primary and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra in November, setting up a sharply polarized contest for governor, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Becerra remains in a prime position to win in November and make history as California’s first elected Latino governor.

New York Times: “The candidates survived an unprecedented barrage of spending for a California governor’s race. Tom Steyer, a billionaire who ran as a progressive Democrat, devoted more than $216 million of his personal fortune toward his primary campaign, finishing third.”

“Under California rules, the top two finishers in the primary election, regardless of party, advance to the general election. There had been a chance that Mr. Steyer would face Mr. Becerra in an intraparty battle in November, but Tuesday’s outcome instead sets up a lopsided contest in a state where a Republican has not won the governor’s office in two decades.”

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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