Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra and his Republican counterpart Steve Hilton advanced to the top two spots in the closely watched, congested primary race for California governor, the Associated Press and NBC News projected.

The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election in November for a chance to succeed current Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out after eight years in office, in January.

Becerra received nearly 28% of the vote, and Hilton received close to 25%, according to AP. Progressive billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer came in third place with 22.6%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (10.2%) and former Congresswoman Katie Porter (4.4%).

Becerra, Hilton, and Steyer, a progressive billionaire entrepreneur and climate activist, survived amid a packed field of 61 gubernatorial candidates that took up a full page on a nearly two-foot-long ballot. In the long-awaited projection, Becerra received nearly 2.4 million votes compared to Hilton, who received more than 2.1 million votes when the race was called.

Becerra quickly received key endorsements from Democratic heavyweights, current California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a lengthy statement following his defeat, Steyer thanked his supporters for getting nearly 2 million votes. Steyer said he was proud of how "we never compromised our values or lowered our sights" on what they think California should be, a more affordable place to live and work.

Steyer then threw his support to Becerra for governor and encouraged his supporters to "stay focused" on their real adversaries, Trump and Hilton, the GOP gubernatorial nominee. (Source: USA Today)

Story Date: June 25, 2026