Steve Hilton Advances to California Governor Runoff Against Xavier Becerra

Republican Steve Hilton secured the second runoff spot in California’s governor’s race, setting up a general election contest with Democrat Xavier Becerra after nearly a week of ballot counting.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Republican Steve Hilton advanced Monday evening to the general election runoff in California’s governor’s race, securing the second available spot nearly a week after Election Day.

Decision Desk called the race for Hilton after the latest batch of mail-in ballots favored Democrat Tom Steyer but did not give Steyer enough votes to overtake him. Hilton, who was backed by President Donald Trump, will now face Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden.

According to Decision Desk totals cited in the report, Becerra led the field with 27.66% of the vote, while Hilton held second place with 25.10%.

The result was highlighted in an X post. Trump later celebrated Hilton’s advancement in a Truth Social post.

California’s primary results have drawn national attention as additional mail-in ballots continued to shift several races after Election Day. The governor’s contest was not the only race under scrutiny.

Earlier Monday, Spencer Pratt was eliminated from the Los Angeles mayoral primary after Nithya Raman advanced following the latest mail-in ballot count. Raman had been trailing last week after polls closed and had delivered an emotional concession speech, according to the report, before later mail-in ballots pushed her ahead of Pratt.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Democrats are rigging California primary elections. He renewed those concerns in another Truth Social post.

The California results also came after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he had a secret “break the glass” plan to prevent California from electing a Republican governor. That comment was featured in another X post.

Hilton’s advancement gives Republicans a place in the California governor’s runoff against Becerra, a prominent Democrat with national experience from the Biden administration. The race now moves into its next phase as both candidates prepare for a statewide contest in a heavily Democratic state.