Key Takeaways
- • Republican Steve Hilton leads California's gubernatorial primary with 27.8% of votes (1.39 million), followed closely by Democrat Xavier Becerra at 25.4% (1.27 million) as of Wednesday morning, with ballots still being counted statewide.
- • Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer placed third with 19.6% of votes (979,007), while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco secured 11.3% (566,679), effectively eliminating the broader field and positioning the race as a two-person runoff.
- • Pundits expect later-counted ballots to favor Democrats, potentially allowing Becerra to finish first despite trailing in early returns; California's top-two primary system guarantees both leading candidates advance to November regardless of party affiliation.
- • Hilton's surge past Bianco followed President Donald Trump's endorsement in April and centered on platform themes including tax reduction, spending caps, and bureaucratic deregulation; Becerra had surged in recent polling before election day.
- • The race succeeds termed-out Governor Gavin Newsom and represents a competitive contest in a state where political strategy and billionaire-level funding prove decisive factors in primary outcomes.
Summary
California's June 2026 gubernatorial primary positioned Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra as frontrunners for the state's November general election, with early returns Wednesday morning showing Hilton ahead at 27.8% and Becerra at 25.4%. Hilton accumulated 1.39 million votes while Becerra secured 1.27 million, according to California Secretary of State data. The gap narrowed significantly from earlier projections, and with substantial ballot counting remaining, political analysts anticipated the final tally could shift in Becerra's favor—a common pattern in California elections where mail-in and provisional ballots trend Democratic.
The primary race compressed into a three-candidate contest after billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer captured third place with 19.6% of the vote (979,007 votes), while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco placed fourth with 11.3% (566,679 votes). This distribution effectively eliminated a broader field of candidates and left the November runoff as a binary choice between Hilton and Becerra, both of whom secured the advancement guaranteed under California's top-two primary system.
Hilton's competitive position strengthened following President Trump's April endorsement, which boosted his support and moved him past Bianco. The former British political strategist who previously worked for Prime Minister David Cameron has centered his campaign on tax reduction, spending constraints, and eliminating regulatory burdens. Becerra, meanwhile, had demonstrated polling momentum in the days leading into Tuesday's election, suggesting strength among Democratic-leaning voters.
Political observers characterized the race as competitive throughout the campaign period, with the final primary results validating pre-election forecasts that positioned Hilton, Becerra, and Steyer as the dominant contenders. The contest to succeed termed-out Governor Gavin Newsom represents a significant test of voter preferences on fiscal conservatism, regulatory philosophy, and partisan affiliation in the nation's most populous state.
The primary race compressed into a three-candidate contest after billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer captured third place with 19.6% of the vote (979,007 votes), while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco placed fourth with 11.3% (566,679 votes). This distribution effectively eliminated a broader field of candidates and left the November runoff as a binary choice between Hilton and Becerra, both of whom secured the advancement guaranteed under California's top-two primary system.
Hilton's competitive position strengthened following President Trump's April endorsement, which boosted his support and moved him past Bianco. The former British political strategist who previously worked for Prime Minister David Cameron has centered his campaign on tax reduction, spending constraints, and eliminating regulatory burdens. Becerra, meanwhile, had demonstrated polling momentum in the days leading into Tuesday's election, suggesting strength among Democratic-leaning voters.
Political observers characterized the race as competitive throughout the campaign period, with the final primary results validating pre-election forecasts that positioned Hilton, Becerra, and Steyer as the dominant contenders. The contest to succeed termed-out Governor Gavin Newsom represents a significant test of voter preferences on fiscal conservatism, regulatory philosophy, and partisan affiliation in the nation's most populous state.
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