Palm Springs, CA

Democrat Xavier Becerra has emerged as the top vote-getter in California’s gubernatorial primary election, with updated ballot counts shifting the race in his favor after a close election night. The Associated Press has projected Becerra will advance to the November general election, though the identity of his opponent remains undecided.

In a new drop of election results Friday evening, Becerra took the lead over Republican Steve Hilton. In the latest totals, Becerra holds 26.7% of the vote, while Hilton trails with 26.4%. Democrat Tom Steyer is in third with 21% of the vote, with 65% of expected ballots counted at the time of the update.

The lead change came after a tense election night. With 38% of the expected vote counted shortly after polls closed, Hilton had led with 26.2% to Becerra’s 26%, followed by Steyer at 20% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 12%

For the second spot in November’s general election, Hilton still maintains a narrow edge over billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer, though Steyer has been gaining ground as ballots continue to be counted.

Becerra, who served as California’s Attorney General and later as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden, centered his campaign on his decades of public service experience. He leaned on more than 35 years in public office to argue he was the most qualified candidate in a crowded field. “I am ready to lead the fight to uphold California’s promise to make sure we have the governance worthy of our gifts,” he said on election night.

Hilton, a Trump-endorsed former Fox News host, vowed to cut income taxes, slash environmental regulations, and boost oil drilling. “Change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” he told supporters in Huntington Beach.

The final pre-election polls had pointed toward this outcome. The final Emerson College Polling survey of the race found Becerra leading at 28%, followed closely by Steyer at 22% and Hilton in third — a standing that mirrored the fluid dynamics seen throughout the counting process.

The race has been widely described as the most unsettled California gubernatorial primary in recent memory, with the top candidates locked in an unusually tight competition for weeks. Millions of ballots remain to be counted statewide, and election officials have indicated it could be days or weeks before final results are certified.

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