Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in California governor’s race

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election in the California governor’s race, NBC News projects.

His opponent in November has yet to be determined. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat are the leading candidates for second place in the all-party primary.

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Becerra, a former California attorney general and 12-term congressman, campaigned on his extensive experience in government in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, portraying himself as a mainstream and moderate Democrat.

Becerra was mired low single digits in the polls for much of the campaign. But he rapidly rose to the top of a muddled field of candidates following former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s abrupt exit from the race in April in the wake of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he has denied.

In California, all candidates run on the same primary ballot in the primary and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, move on to the general election.

Hilton and Steyer the next two candidates running behind Becerra. NBC News has not projected which candidate will join Becerra on the November ballot.

California is one of a handful of states that send a mail-in ballot to every registered voter. And those ballots are allowed to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day and arrives within seven days of the election, which prolongs the tallying of the votes.

Hilton, who was born in and spent much of his life in the United Kingdom, is a former Fox News commentator who previously worked as an aide to former British Prime Minister David Cameron. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and has focused his campaign on tax cuts, reducing the state’s regulatory red tape for businesses and increasing homeownership.

Trump endorsed him in April, allowing him to consolidate the GOP vote and helping to diminish Democratic concerns that two Republicans could advance from a packed primary.

Meanwhile, Steyer has positioned himself as the progressive champion in the race, emphasizing his support for single-payer health care, taxing the profits of oil companies and a billionaire tax that is likely to appear on the ballot this fall. He has blanketed the state’s airwaves, dumping nearly $200 million of his own money into his campaign.

Prior to Trump’s endorsement, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, had been polling near the top of the field. A bevy of prominent Democrats prevented early consolidation. Former Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan were among the dozens of candidates on the ballot.

During the primary, Becerra faced a litany of criticism from several of his former Biden administration colleagues, who argued that the troubles that emerged during his tenure in the Cabinet suggest he’s not capable of managing California’s enormous bureaucracy.

He also faced a steady drip of tough headlines in recent weeks, including blowback over how he handled an interview with a local Los Angeles TV station and guilty pleas by two former consultants who stole campaign funds from a dormant Becerra campaign account.

But if Becerra is the lone Democrat running in November, he will be the heavy favorite to be the next governor of California.

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