Xavier Becerra has advanced to a November runoff in the race for California governor, where he’ll face either Republican pundit Steve Hilton or billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer.
The top-two primary victory of the former California attorney general and Biden Cabinet secretary capped a meteoric rise this spring from the back of the Democratic pack to the top of a crowded field.
"The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Becerra said. “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down. November, here we come.”
In a sign of how volatile California's governor contest has been, Becerra didn’t officially secure his spot until three days after the polls closed — and he still doesn’t know who his opponent will be.
While Hilton has maintained a lead over Steyer since Election Day, there is still a chance that Steyer could overtake Hilton as elections officials continue to tabulate ballots. The prolonged count is a byproduct of California’s vote-by-mail system, which allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive afterward and requires signature verification before votes are tallied.
That outcome will dramatically shape the nature of the general-election campaign. Becerra would be expected to cruise to victory against Hilton, whose Republican registration and support from President Donald Trump are high hurdles in deep-blue California.
A clash between Steyer and Becerra, however, could be highly competitive — and costly. Steyer has spent more than $200 million to present himself as a progressive outsider who would take on corporate power while hammering Becerra, and an anti-Steyer PAC funded by interests like utilities and real estate developers has dropped tens of millions of dollars to stymie the billionaire.
That Dem-on-Dem matchup would feature a clear contrast between Becerra, who projected steadiness and touted his years of experience, and Steyer, who pledged ambitious policies like single-payer health care.
Melanie Mason contributed to this story.
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