Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, will advance to November’s general election in the race to become California’s next governor, CBS News projects.
Hilton will face off against Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and California attorney general, who mounted a late rise in the race after the exit of former Rep. Eric Swalwell. Becerra overtook Hilton in the vote count on Friday, leading to CBS News projecting that he would advance.
Hilton released a video statement on social media expressing gratitude to all California voters, regardless of who they supported in the race. Hilton’s campaign has been centered around change, and he said voters “will now have the chance to vote for it.”
“I want to thank every single one of you who voted for me, around 2 million of you. I want to thank everyone who didn’t vote for me, and I want you to know that I’m running for governor to be of service to you to make sure that our government gets the basics right so that you could live your dreams,” Hilton said. “Follow your dream — that’s what California is all about. I want this state to be the best state in the world to start and raise a family; to start, run and grow a business. That’s why I’m running for governor. That’s why we need change.”
Hilton held off billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, a Democrat, for the second spot in California’s top-two primary. Tuesday evening, Steyer released a statement acknowledging he would not advance to November, taking aim at Hilton and President Trump while calling on Californians to support Becerra.
“For now, we must stay focused. Donald Trump is the embodiment of the corporations’ craven, soulless, profit-first model of politics, and it is absolutely essential that his handpicked candidate does not hold the keys to California,” Steyer said. “It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not.”
If elected, Hilton would become California’s first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011. He served as Cameron’s director of Strategy from May 2010 to May 2012. Before moving to California in 2012, Hilton unsuccessfully ran for a U.K. parliamentary seat as a member of the Conservative Party in 2005.
Hilton has worked to position his candidacy as a potential catalyst for change in California, where Democrats also have a supermajority in the state Legislature. As results began to trickle in on Tuesday night, he framed his early success in returns as a referendum on what California voters want to see going forward.
“It looks very much like Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction,” he said on Tuesday.
If Beccera is elected, he would become the first Latino governor of California in 150 years, since Romulado Pacheco.
Current Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media to convey their support for Becerra in the race. Becerra worked with Harris under the Biden administration in his role as HHS secretary.
Newsom said Becerra’s grit and experience are what California needs and described him as someone who “will stand up to Donald Trump, defend our families, and keep our state moving forward.” Harris said she is confident the Democratic party will “unite behind Xavier and his calm, steady brand of leadership.”
“I have been fortunate to see firsthand how Xavier never shies away from the biggest fights, whether it was taking on the drug companies as Secretary of Health and Human Services or going after sex traffickers and big polluters as California’s Attorney General,” Harris wrote. “I know as Governor, he will do whatever it takes to stand up to Donald Trump, defend our rights, and protect our communities.
Several high-profile candidates saw their campaigns come to an end shortly after polls closed Tuesday. Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa each acknowledged they would not become California’s next governor.
Other notable candidates in the race included State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. As of Sunday, neither candidate had conceded in the race.
Hilton was one of two major Republicans in the race. Bianco and Hilton kept a similar pace in polling throughout much of the campaign. It wasn’t until President Trump endorsed Hilton in April that the former U.K. government officials began to pull away from Bianco.
“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT.”
In the days since election night, Hilton has criticized the state’s lengthy process for counting ballots. During a news conference in San Mateo County on Friday, he pledged to “make sure all votes are counted within 48 hours of the mail-in deadline” if elected governor.