{"id":36729,"date":"2026-08-10T16:06:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T11:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36729"},"modified":"2026-08-10T16:06:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T11:06:40","slug":"california-governors-race-election-guide-becerra-vs-hilton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36729","title":{"rendered":"California governor&#8217;s race election guide: Becerra vs. Hilton"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c4fa01c\/2147483647\/strip\/false\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/1500x1000!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb2%2F10%2Ff5bd0f8b44d6928a46ad2ba94e2a%2Fla-pol-hilton-becerra-diptych.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div data-element=\"story-body\" data-subscriber-content=\"\">\n<p>After a primary campaign filled with twists, turns and scandal, the election to determine California\u2019s next governor has <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-06-09\/steve-hilton-clinches-top-spot-california-governor-race-will-challenge-xavier-becerra\">narrowed to two candidates<\/a>: Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and veteran of California politics, and Steve Hilton, a Republican immigrant and ally of President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The two have similar origin stories as the sons of working-class immigrants \u2014 both even worked construction jobs to earn money as teenagers \u2014 but they have vastly different visions for California\u2019s future. If elected, Becerra promises to solidify many of the state\u2019s liberal policies and its opposition to Trump; Hilton pledges to reverse course by cutting taxes, ending regulations and shrinking state government.<\/p>\n<p>The race is open because after two terms at the state\u2019s helm, outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom is blocked from running again. He has endorsed Becerra and is considering a run for president in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>In a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly a two-to-one margin, Hilton has acknowledged his campaign is an uphill battle. Since the primary he has focused on reaching out to independent voters and making the case that after 16 years of Democratic control, poverty and wealth inequality in California have only worsened.<\/p>\n<p>As the Nov. 3 general election nears, both have begun articulating their agendas, courting voters and lobbing attacks at one another.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s more about the two candidates, along with their stances on a few top issues.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"xavier-becerra\" class=\"subhead\">Xavier Becerra<\/h2>\n<p><b>Top job: <\/b>U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services<br \/><b>Biggest splash: <\/b>As California attorney general, sued the Trump administration roughly 120 times.<br \/><b>Particulars: <\/b>Becerra, 68, lives in Sacramento with his wife, Dr. Carolina Reyes, and they have three adult daughters. Born in Sacramento, he is the son of Mexican immigrants: His mother was a clerical worker and his father picked vegetables, worked in construction and had other jobs. He is a Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>Once considered an underdog among the many Democrats vying to replace Newsom, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-04-21\/becerra-momentum-money-polls-governors-race\">Becerra shot to the top<\/a> of the polls after former <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-04-12\/swalwell-suspends-campaign-for-governors-race-following-allegations-of-sexual-assault-nude-photos\">Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race<\/a> after he was accused of sexual assault and misconduct. In the scandal\u2019s aftermath, several of Swalwell\u2019s campaign advisors jumped to Becerra\u2019s team. Voters in search of a new candidate said they were drawn to Becerra\u2019s calm demeanor and decades of experience in government.<\/p>\n<p>He finished first in the June 2 primary with 28.1% of the total vote. Under California\u2019s top-two primary system, all candidates were listed on the same ballot, regardless of party, and first and second place finishers advanced to the Nov. 3 general election.<\/p>\n<p>A steady, if inconspicuous, presence in California Democratic politics over the years, Becerra is largely <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/newsletter\/2026-04-27\/skelton-monday-politics-newsletter-becerra\">perceived as a risk-averse candidate<\/a> who would continue the status quo if he is elected.<\/p>\n<p>The son of working-class Mexican immigrants \u2014 his mother was from Guadalajara and his father was born in Sacramento but raised in Tijuana \u2014 Becerra grew up in Sacramento with three sisters. In high school, Becerra convinced a classmate to hand over their unused application to Stanford University rather than throw it away. He filled it out and was accepted, becoming the first in his family to attend college, and graduated with degrees in law and economics.<\/p>\n<p>Following a brief period doing legal aid work in Massachusetts while his wife finished medical school, Becerra returned to California to work as a legislative staffer for former state Sen. Art Torres and a deputy attorney general. Within a few years, he was recruited to run for a San Gabriel Valley Assembly seat. <\/p>\n<p>Though he boasts a long resume in California electoral politics, Becerra went decades without a challenging election fight \u2014 until this year. Backing from a group of powerful Latinos helped him win his first Assembly race and, two years later, an open U.S. House seat, which he would hold for 24 years.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as state attorney general to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris\u2019 election to the U.S. Senate. He quickly became a <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2020-08-28\/california-100-lawsuits-trump-administration\">top legal foe of the first Trump administration<\/a>, suing more than 120 times over issues including immigration enforcement, protections for clean air and endangered species, and the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n<p>Four years later, President <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2020-12-07\/five-things-to-know-about-xavier-becerra-biden-nominee-to-be-top-health-official\">Biden nominated Becerra<\/a> to lead the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and he was narrowly approved by the Senate. He faced criticism in the role for keeping a low profile during the nation\u2019s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and for his oversight of tens of thousands of migrant children in federal custody who crossed the border without a parent or guardian. A <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/02\/25\/us\/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times investigation<\/a> found that as a result of scaled-back vetting processes, many of the children ended up working, often in dangerous jobs at factories, farms and construction sites.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra has <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-04-27\/becerras-surge-california-governor-race-draws-attention-to-candidacy-long-government-record\">defended his record at HHS<\/a>, arguing that the Trump administration had left the agency ill-equipped to care for so many children and disputing the number of unaccompanied minors who were \u201clost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The candidate is linked to \u2014 but not accused of any wrongdoing in \u2014 <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-05-14\/becerras-consultant-to-plead-guilty-to-skimming-campaign-funds\">a corruption case involving two former advisors<\/a> and a lobbyist who siphoned $225,000 money from one of Becerra\u2019s campaign accounts. Sean McCluskie, Becerra\u2019s former chief of staff; Dana Williamson, a Democratic advisor and former chief of staff to Newsom; and lobbyist Greg Campbell have all pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and are awaiting sentencing.<\/p>\n<p>Since the primary, Becerra has kept a low profile with few public events. After Hilton criticized his opponent\u2019s absence from the campaign trail and <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-07-31\/steve-hilton-challenges-xavier-becerra-to-agree-to-series-of-debates-in-californias-governors-race\">challenged him to debate<\/a>, Becerra\u2019s spokesperson Jonathan Underland said he \u201cis building a coalition of Californians ready to elect a governor who won\u2019t bring Trump\u2019s chaos to their front door\u201d and that he will debate Hilton.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"steve-hilton\" class=\"subhead\">Steve Hilton<\/h2>\n<p><b>Top job: <\/b>Senior advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron<br \/><b>Biggest splash: <\/b>Fox News commentator<br \/><b>Particulars:<\/b> Hilton, 56, was born in England and lives in the Bay Area town of Atherton with his wife, Rachel Whetstone, who worked as a public relations executive for Google, Uber, Facebook and Netflix. They have two children. He is a Republican.<\/p>\n<p>With Trump\u2019s backing, Hilton consolidated enough Republican support to finish second in the primary with 24.6% of the vote. The president\u2019s endorsement, though, is a double-edged sword in California, where Trump is deeply unpopular.<\/p>\n<p>Hilton has said he is \u201cdeeply honored\u201d to have his endorsement. Since the primary, however, he has <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-07-22\/gop-gubernatorial-candidate-steve-hilton-pleads-case-to-anti-trump-voters\"><u>made overtures to independent and Latino voters<\/u><\/a>, arguing that even if they dislike Trump, voters should choose him if they are dissatisfied with California\u2019s progress on affordability, homelessness and other issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe may not agree about national politics, but I think we can agree that we need change in California, and I\u2019m going to bring that change,\u201d he said during a July press conference.<\/p>\n<p>Hilton has sought to keep the spotlight on Becerra\u2019s handling of the child migrant crisis, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnobee.com\/news\/politics-government\/article316777561.html\" target=\"_blank\">releasing video interviews<\/a> with a whistleblower and teenagers who said HHS released them to traffickers who forced them to work and did not intervene to stop sexual abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Born in London to parents who fled conflict in their native Hungary, Hilton began a career in politics with Britain\u2019s Conservative Party after graduating from Oxford University. He was a close friend and advisor to David Cameron, who served as the U.K.\u2019s prime minister from 2010 to 2016.<\/p>\n<p>In British politics, Hilton earned a reputation as a zany but genius marketer who pushed the Conservative Party to embrace same-sex marriage and climate-friendlier policies. He was satirized on the BBC political sitcom \u201cThe Thick of It\u201d as <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/profiles\/554WqJ9kqwx0vdwL4rdQcfZ\/stewart-pearson\" target=\"_blank\">Stewart Pearson<\/a>, the Tories\u2019 \u201ceco-friendly, media-savvy, blue-sky-thinking\u201d communications director. He was an early supporter of Brexit, the U.K.\u2019s withdrawal from the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>Hilton and his family moved to California in 2012 after his wife, Rachel Whetstone, was promoted to lead global communications at Google. In the Bay Area, he became a visiting scholar at Stanford University and co-founded CrowdPac, a nonpartisan political fundraising platform. He left the company after his support for Trump stirred controversy.<\/p>\n<p>For six years, he hosted \u201cThe Next Revolution,\u201d a weekly Fox News show which Trump regularly tweeted clips from. On the show, Hilton lambasted lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for an investigation into alleged voter fraud after Trump lost the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>Hilton became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021 and last year renounced his British citizenship. Before running for governor, he founded Golden Together, a policy institute focused on researching issues like housing costs, homelessness and the state\u2019s business climate. He has written several books that explore his ideas of \u201cpositive populism,\u201d the role businesses play in social influence, and the \u201cfailures\u201d of California government.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"housing\" class=\"subhead\">Housing<\/h2>\n<p>Fixing one of California\u2019s most pressing issues \u2014 a severe housing shortage and sky-high prices \u2014 has been a rare point of unity in the governor\u2019s race. During the primary, all major candidates agreed on the need to reduce roadblocks to homebuilding and permitting.<\/p>\n<p>If elected, Becerra has said he would <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xavierbecerra2026.com\/priorities\/housing\/\" target=\"_blank\">declare California\u2019s housing shortage<\/a> a state of emergency and direct his administration to identify ways to reduce the cost of building. He would expand the state\u2019s down payment assistance program for first-time buyers and supports blocking institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra promised to continue Newsom\u2019s legal <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-07-17\/newsom-continues-crackdown-on-cities-over-housing-plan-requirements-no-city-gets-pass-governor-says\"><u>crusade against cities<\/u><\/a> that do not plan or build enough housing under state law. He has endorsed Proposition 1, an $11.25-billion affordable housing bond, and Proposition 37, a $25-billion down payment assistance program.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/stevehiltonforgovernor.com\/policies\/bring-back-the-starter-home-in-california\" target=\"_blank\">Hilton argues <\/a>that layers of rules of permits have effectively halted construction of smaller and more affordable starter homes. He plans to prioritize construction of new 1,000-square-foot homes by fast-tracking their approval, reducing fees and placing a moratorium on new housing regulations.<\/p>\n<p>He has proposed changing the California Environmental Quality Act to limit lawsuits that slow down or stall new home development. He\u2019s also criticized the state\u2019s \u201cdensity bonus\u201d law, which allows developers to increase the scale of housing projects if they include a certain percentage of affordable units.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got to allow ourselves to build outwards, not just upwards, and we\u2019ve got to end the bias against single family homes,\u201d Hilton said at a March forum hosted by the California Assn. of Realtors.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"californias-notorious-cost-of-living\" class=\"subhead\">California\u2019s notorious cost of living<\/h2>\n<p>Hilton has promised to <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/stevehiltonforgovernor.com\/policies\/3-dollar-gas\" target=\"_blank\">deliver $3 gas<\/a>, slash utility bills by half and make Californians\u2019 first <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/stevehiltonforgovernor.com\/policies\/no-state-income-tax-on-your-first-150000\" target=\"_blank\">$150,000 in earnings tax-free<\/a> (an increase from his earlier proposal of $100,000). He said he can do all this by taking \u201ca sledgehammer to our bloated, bureaucratic nanny state\u201d and rolling back climate policies, which he blames for increased energy costs. <\/p>\n<p>To lower gas prices, he has proposed increasing domestic oil production and cutting regulations on refineries.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra would <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xavierbecerra2026.com\/priorities\/economy-and-affordability\/\" target=\"_blank\">address the cost of living<\/a> \u201cby standing up to price gouging and unjustified rate hikes, expanding help with childcare and essential costs, and using the power of the state to lower prices where the market has failed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He does not specify how he would achieve those goals but touts his experience challenging anticompetitive practices among hospital systems as attorney general and negotiating more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries as HHS secretary.<\/p>\n<p>Though he previously promised to freeze home insurance rates and utility costs, Becerra appears to have backtracked after Hilton and insurance industry representatives <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2026-04-29\/governor-candidate-debate-climate-energy-wildfire\"><u>questioned whether it is legal<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"healthcare-costs-and-coverage-for-undocumented-immigrants\" class=\"subhead\">Healthcare costs and coverage for undocumented immigrants<\/h2>\n<p>Early in his campaign, Becerra pitched himself as a \u201chealthcare governor\u201d who would lower costs and expand access to medical care by drawing on years of experience writing and implementing major healthcare laws. He was criticized by other Democrats during the primary for not committing to state-sponsored single-payer health care; Becerra said he supports nationwide Medicare for all.<\/p>\n<p>Becerra\u2019s <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xavierbecerra2026.com\/priorities\/health-care\/\" target=\"_blank\">12-point healthcare plan<\/a> includes expanding CalRx, the state\u2019s generic drug manufacturing program, expanding access to telehealth appointments and investing in robust, community-based programs to screen for and prevent diseases.<\/p>\n<p>After years of expanding Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants, Newsom and lawmakers last year <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2025-05-14\/newsom-walks-back-free-healthcare-for-undocumented-immigrants\">froze enrollment to stem increasing costs<\/a>. Becerra has said he would reverse the cuts, arguing that it is more cost-effective to provide regular care than push uninsured people into emergency rooms.<\/p>\n<p>In a video posted to Facebook in early June, Hilton promised to eliminate \u201cfree healthcare to citizens of other countries who shouldn\u2019t even be here.\u201d He said he would lower costs by increasing competition among health insurance companies and stop consolidation in the healthcare industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After a primary campaign filled with twists, turns and scandal, the election to determine California\u2019s next governor has narrowed to two candidates: Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and veteran of California politics, and Steve Hilton, a Republican immigrant and ally of President Trump. The two have similar origin stories as the sons of working-class immigrants \u2014&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/28135b7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x1575+0+213\/resize\/1200x630!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb2%2F10%2Ff5bd0f8b44d6928a46ad2ba94e2a%2Fla-pol-hilton-becerra-diptych.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}