• Analysis
Xavier Becerra wins California governor race, vowing to defend state from Trump agenda
Xavier Becerra, the Democratic former health and human services secretary, has won the California governor race, defeating the Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton. He will become the state's first Latino governor since 1875.
Xavier Becerra, the Democratic former health and human services secretary, has been elected governor of California, beating Steve Hilton, the Republican endorsed by Donald Trump. He takes over from Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and openly weighing a presidential run.
A historic first for California
Becerra, 68, the son of Mexican immigrants, becomes the state's first Latino governor since 1875. His win lands in a state where more than 40% of residents are Latino and nearly one in two children has an immigrant parent.
The office he inherits is a large one:
- •California is America's largest state
- •It holds the world's fourth largest economy
A resistance record
Becerra built his campaign resistance credentials as attorney general, when he sued the Trump administration 122 times during Trump's first term. He campaigned on affordability, including making healthcare universally accessible.
Accepting the result, he told supporters in Sacramento what he intends to do with the office.
As Governor, my mission is straightforward, but not simple: deliver a California we can afford and defend a California we can't afford to lose.
The road through an open primary
Becerra's path to the nomination was unlikely. A former congressman, attorney general and Biden cabinet secretary, he languished in the low-single digits for much of the California governor race. Party officials even encouraged him to exit the race so as to not inadvertently split the vote and enable a "Republican lockout".
The opening came when Eric Swalwell's campaign collapsed amid sexual assault allegations. Becerra edged past the billionaire progressive Tom Steyer and secured the top spot, alongside Hilton. California's open primary system rewards the top two vote-winners regardless of party.
Hilton, who is British-born, blamed Democratic governance for excessive regulation and high taxes, promising a platform of tax cuts, cheaper fuel and smaller government.
What the next governor inherits
The incoming administration faces a high cost of living, a housing shortage, homelessness, rising insurance premiums, wildfire risk and widening wealth inequality.
Other fights are already on the horizon:
- •Regulating artificial intelligence looms large for the next governor
- •Tech companies and investors have increasingly challenged Sacramento's regulatory ambitions, particularly around AI safety, labor protections and datacenter construction
Becerra now takes office as the successor to Newsom, whose second term ends under the state's term limits.
