Since World War II, 11 men have served as California governor, with Jerry Brown counted for his two separate periods in office. Six were Republicans, beginning with Earl Warren, and five were Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Their tenures can also be viewed another way: Some used the office as a platform for national ambitions, while others concentrated more directly on running the state. That divide is nearly even.

Newsom, whose term has roughly six months left, is widely expected to pursue the presidency after leaving office. In that respect, he follows a line of California governors who looked beyond Sacramento, including Warren, who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 1948 before becoming chief justice of the United States, and Ronald Reagan, who went on to win the White House.

Other Republican governors — Goodwin Knight, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger — largely remained focused on state-level governing. Among Democrats, Pat Brown and Gray Davis fit that mold as well. Jerry Brown’s record is more complicated: During his first two terms, he ran for president twice and once for the U.S. Senate. When he returned to the governor’s office nearly three decades later, he adopted a more disciplined, policy-focused approach.

Becerra appears more likely to belong to the governing-first category.

He will face Hilton in the general election after advancing from the primary, and he enters the fall campaign as the strong favorite. No Republican has won statewide office in California since Schwarzenegger’s reelection in 2006. Democrats also hold a major registration advantage over Republicans, 45% to 25%.

Becerra’s political style is a sharp contrast to Newsom’s more public-facing and often combative approach. He is soft-spoken, closely identifies with his background as the son of working-class immigrants in Sacramento, and has long been aligned with organized labor. Unlike Newsom, who climbed through a series of elected offices, Becerra’s rise included several key appointments.

After working as an attorney in the state Department of Justice and as a legislative aide, Becerra served one term in the Assembly. He then represented a Southern California district in Congress for 24 years before Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him attorney general in 2017, filling the vacancy created when Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2021, President Joe Biden selected Becerra to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra left that post last year and soon after began his campaign for governor.

For much of the race, Becerra appeared to be trailing the top tier of candidates and was not considered a sure bet to make the November runoff. That changed after Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been leading in polling, left the race in April and resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. Billionaire Tom Steyer then appeared to be the leading contender.

But Becerra quickly gained support from major business interests, labor unions and other parts of California’s political establishment. Their money and organizational backing helped propel him to a first-place finish in the primary and a spot on the November ballot.

If Becerra becomes governor, Californians should not expect the kind of headline-grabbing gestures associated with Jerry Brown’s first stint in the 1970s or Newsom’s time in office since 2019. His background suggests a more methodical administration, one likely to focus on the state’s most persistent problems rather than national visibility.

Those problems are substantial. California continues to struggle with homelessness, a severe housing shortage, poverty and the loss of businesses and residents to other states — issues felt acutely across Southern California and the Inland Empire, where affordability and economic pressure remain central concerns.

Becerra’s likely model may be closer to Jerry Brown’s second governorship: less showmanship, more attention to the state’s fiscal and policy challenges. For a state facing a long list of unresolved crises, that kind of approach could prove valuable.

Original source: CalMatters

The post Xavier Becerra Would Bring Workhorse Style to California Governor’s Office appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Hilton, a British American former Fox News host, had about 25% of the vote in the June 2 primary, with roughly 88% of ballots counted as of Tuesday night. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes move on to the November ballot regardless of party affiliation.

Becerra, a Democrat and former California attorney general who later served as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, emerged from a crowded field of Democratic contenders.

In a statement, Hilton said he would lead a “movement for change” in California and portrayed Becerra as a continuation of what he described as years of Democratic control in Sacramento.

“My mission is clear: go to Sacramento, end the corruption, cut your costs, help your businesses and improve our schools,” Hilton said. “We cannot keep voting the same way and expect different results.”

Hilton’s second-place finish shuts billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer out of the November race, despite Steyer spending $215 million of his own money on a populist campaign that heavily advertised across the state. His defeat turns the general election into a more traditional partisan contest during a midterm election year, rather than the all-Democratic showdown Steyer’s supporters had hoped for.

Steyer conceded Tuesday night and endorsed Becerra for November. In his statement, he said he was proud to have angered utility companies, technology firms and major oil interests, and said he did not blame voters who “simply could not bring themselves to vote for a billionaire.”

“It is absolutely essential that Trump’s handpicked candidate not be given the keys to California,” Steyer said, referring to Hilton.

With several Democrats splitting the vote, Hilton led polling for much of the primary campaign. He appealed to conservative voters by promising to cut income taxes and the gas tax, expand oil drilling and roll back environmental regulations, including state greenhouse gas reduction mandates.

Hilton has framed his campaign as a chance for Californians facing high costs to end what he calls “16 years of one-party rule.” Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last Republican to lead California, left office in 2011.

“The people of California have been very generous in giving the Democratic Party the opportunity to show that their ideas work,” Hilton said last week during a Sacramento news conference where he declared victory early. “I think patience is running out.”

Still, Hilton faces steep odds in November. Democrats outnumber Republicans in California by nearly two to one. While Hilton argues that voters are ready for a different course, Republican candidates have routinely reached the general election for governor over the past two decades, and Democrats have won every race except Schwarzenegger’s.

Hilton also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who remains deeply unpopular among California voters. Hilton has not distanced himself from that support.

“I think it will be very helpful for Californians to have a governor who has a good working relationship with the president and his team,” Hilton said.

Hilton’s central campaign pledge is to eliminate the state income tax on the first $100,000 of income and create a flat tax rate for earnings above that amount. Last week, he said his campaign would consider raising that threshold after reviewing California’s cost of living. Either proposal would significantly reduce state revenue, which Hilton has said he would offset by cutting one-third of state spending.

He has not detailed how he would win approval for such a plan from a Legislature controlled by Democratic supermajorities.

Hilton was born in London to Hungarian immigrant parents. He began his political career with Britain’s Conservative Party and played a prominent role in the rise of Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010. In 2012, he moved to Silicon Valley, where his wife worked as a Google executive, and later entered the startup world. He launched a weekly Fox News program, “The Next Revolution,” in 2017 during Trump’s first presidency. The show aired until 2023.

Original source: CalMatters

The post Republican Steve Hilton to Face Becerra in November Race for California Governor appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Hilton, a British American former Fox News host, received about 25% of the vote in the June 2 primary, with roughly 88% of ballots counted as of Tuesday evening. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two highest vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party.

Becerra, a longtime Democratic politician who previously served as California attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, emerged from a large field of Democratic candidates to claim the other November spot.

In a statement, Hilton said his campaign would lead a movement for change in Sacramento and portrayed Becerra as a continuation of years of Democratic control in California.

“My mission is clear: to go to Sacramento, clean up the corruption, cut your costs, help your business, and fix our schools,” Hilton said. “We can’t keep voting the same way and expect different results.”

Hilton’s second-place finish pushed billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer out of the race despite Steyer spending $215 million of his own money on a populist campaign that heavily emphasized television advertising. Steyer had hoped to turn the governor’s race into a fight within the Democratic Party, but the November election will instead become a more traditional Democrat-versus-Republican matchup in a midterm year likely to be framed by Democrats as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s administration.

Steyer conceded Tuesday evening and endorsed Becerra. In his statement, he said he was proud that his campaign had made “enemies” of state utilities, technology companies and Big Oil. He also said he understood voters who “just couldn’t stomach voting for a billionaire.”

“It is absolutely essential that (Trump’s) handpicked candidate does not hold the keys to California,” Steyer said, referring to Hilton.

Hilton led in polling for much of the primary as Democrats split support among several candidates. His campaign appealed to conservative voters with promises to reduce income taxes and the gas tax, encourage more oil drilling and roll back environmental rules, including California’s greenhouse gas reduction requirements.

He has argued that Californians struggling with high housing, energy and transportation costs are ready to end what he calls “16 years of one-party rule.” The last Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, left office in 2011.

“The people of California have really been generous in giving the Democratic Party the opportunity to show that their ideas work,” Hilton said last week during a Sacramento news conference where he declared victory early. “I think the patience is running out, really.”

Still, Hilton enters the general election as an underdog in a state where Democrats hold a nearly two-to-one voter registration advantage over Republicans. GOP candidates have reached the general election in every California governor’s race over the past two decades, but Democrats have dominated statewide contests since Schwarzenegger’s tenure.

Hilton has also been endorsed by Trump, who remains deeply unpopular with many California voters. Hilton, however, has embraced the support and argued it could benefit the state.

“I think it’s going to be very helpful to Californians to have a governor who has a good working relationship with the president and his team,” he said.

A central piece of Hilton’s campaign is a proposal to eliminate state income taxes on the first $100,000 in earnings and apply a flat tax rate above that amount. He said last week his campaign may consider raising the threshold after reviewing California’s cost of living. Either version would substantially reduce state revenue, and Hilton has said he would make up the difference by cutting one-third of state spending.

He has not detailed how he would move such a plan through the state Legislature, where Democrats hold supermajorities in both houses.

Hilton was born in London to Hungarian immigrants and began his political career with Britain’s Conservative Party. He became a key adviser in the rise of Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010. Hilton moved to Silicon Valley in 2012, where his wife worked as a Google executive, and later became involved in startups. In 2017, during Trump’s first presidency, he launched a weekly Fox News program, “The Next Revolution,” which ran until 2023.

Original source: CalMatters

The post Republican Steve Hilton Advances to November Race Against Becerra appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Becerra, a former California attorney general and former U.S. health secretary, had nearly 27% of the vote from the June 2 primary when The Associated Press called the race Friday afternoon, with roughly two-thirds of ballots counted. If elected in November, he would become California’s first Latino governor in more than a century and the first Latino ever elected to the office, a milestone his campaign has emphasized as historic.

His opponent in the general election was not immediately settled. Early returns showed Republican Steve Hilton likely to advance with more than 26% of the vote, while Democrat Tom Steyer trailed with about 21%. More than 3 million ballots remained uncounted, and late-counted ballots in California often lean Democratic because many Democratic voters submit mail ballots close to Election Day.

California’s primary system sends the top two vote-getters to the November ballot regardless of party, meaning the final contest could take very different shapes depending on who finishes second.

If Hilton advances, Becerra would enter the fall campaign with a strong partisan advantage. Democrats outnumber Republicans in California by nearly 2 to 1, and Hilton has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who remains deeply unpopular with many California voters.

If Steyer overtakes Hilton, the November race could become an expensive and divisive contest between two wings of the Democratic Party. Steyer, a former hedge fund manager, major Democratic donor and climate activist, has run as a progressive and has drawn support from allies of Bernie Sanders. He also spent hundreds of millions of dollars from his personal fortune during the primary.

Becerra, by contrast, has been backed by much of the Democratic establishment, along with major support and financial help from labor unions and business groups.

For much of the campaign, Becerra appeared to be a long shot, polling in single digits as other Democrats drew more attention. His standing improved after the political decline of former front-runner Eric Swalwell, as establishment Democrats increasingly coalesced around Becerra instead of former Rep. Katie Porter or Steyer, who ran as a political outsider.

The turnaround was striking for a soft-spoken career politician who had previously been grouped among lower-polling Democrats. At one point, California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks publicly urged candidates in that tier to leave the race.

“Guess what? The underdog stayed in the fight,” Becerra told supporters at an election night gathering Tuesday in Los Angeles, describing his near-victory as an example of “the everyday miracle” of a state where the unlikely can become expected.

The general election comes at a consequential moment for California, including Southern California and the Inland Empire, where residents continue to face steep housing costs, high utility bills, expensive gasoline and growing insurance challenges tied to wildfire risk. State leaders also face an unstable budget, looming federal reductions to California’s large health care system and economic strains connected to immigration enforcement.

So far, Becerra has not laid out a major break from the policies of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is completing his second term. To address affordability, Becerra has said he would declare a state of emergency to freeze utility and homeowners insurance rates while examining why they have risen. He also has said he would enforce existing housing laws to ensure local governments plan for new construction.

Like other California Democrats, Becerra has said he supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving toward cleaner energy while keeping gasoline prices affordable.

Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, grew up in Sacramento and began his political career in the 1990s. A young attorney, he won a Los Angeles-area seat in the state Legislature before being elected to Congress two years later. He served in the House for 24 years before being appointed California attorney general in 2017 during Trump’s first administration. He later served as secretary of health and human services under President Joe Biden.

During the primary, Becerra faced criticism over his record in federal office. Some Democratic leaders revived complaints about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary opponents also repeatedly pointed to his agency’s role in placing large numbers of migrant children in homes before some were later found working in dangerous or exploitative jobs.

Steyer, in particular, also attacked Becerra over the surge of donations from corporations and special interests that helped boost his campaign in the final weeks of the race.

Hilton has sought to channel Republican frustration over California’s high cost of living and regulatory climate, portraying Becerra as a continuation of the Newsom era. Becerra has offered few major policy departures from Newsom and, during a debate, said he would give the governor an “A” for effort on homelessness, even as the number of unhoused residents has risen sharply over Newsom’s two terms.

Becerra has largely answered criticism by emphasizing his decades in government and his record suing the Trump administration when he served as California attorney general.

“You can make all those big, exaggerated promises,” Becerra said this week in a comment aimed at critics such as Steyer. “But what matters is delivering.”

Original source: CalMatters

The post Democrat Xavier Becerra Advances to November Race for California Governor appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Becerra, a former congressman, state attorney general and Biden administration cabinet secretary, was widely expected to advance from Tuesday’s primary under California’s top-two election system. The major uncertainty was who would join him on the general election ballot: billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer or Republican Steve Hilton, a British-born former television commentator.

With ballots still being counted about 12 hours after polls closed, Becerra and Hilton were running close together in the mid-20% range, with Hilton slightly ahead in the latest count. Steyer trailed by roughly seven to eight percentage points. If those numbers hold, Becerra would face Hilton in November rather than Steyer.

That distinction could be critical. California’s voter registration heavily favors Democrats, with the party holding about 45% of registered voters compared with about 25% for Republicans. Hilton’s ties to President Donald Trump, who remains deeply unpopular in California, would likely make the fall campaign a steep climb for the Republican.

A Becerra-Steyer contest would have been a very different race. Steyer poured more than $200 million into his primary campaign, including extensive television and digital advertising that painted Becerra as ineffective or ethically suspect. Had Steyer advanced, he would have been expected to continue spending heavily through November.

Speaking to supporters in Los Angeles late Tuesday, Becerra stopped short of declaring victory but sounded confident as he framed himself as a candidate rooted in labor and public service. If elected, he would become California’s first Latino governor in the modern era, a milestone with particular significance in a state where Latinos are the largest ethnic group.

Becerra’s emergence at the front of the pack was one of the more surprising turns in an unusually fluid gubernatorial campaign. The race began without a clear favorite after several high-profile Democrats opted not to run, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Attorney General Rob Bonta. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis initially entered the governor’s race but later switched to a campaign for state treasurer, where she was leading as votes were counted.

The original field included 61 candidates, though only about 10 were considered serious contenders. As recently as early April, Becerra was polling at just 4% in a state Democratic Party tracking survey. At that point, Rep. Eric Swalwell led Democratic candidates with 12%, just ahead of Steyer.

Days later, Swalwell ended his campaign and resigned from Congress after several women accused him of sexual harassment or assault. Becerra quickly gained ground, tying Steyer at 13% in a mid-April poll and continuing to build support through the final weeks of the primary.

By the last Democratic tracking poll before Election Day, released May 16, Becerra led Steyer 21% to 15%, a margin that closely resembled the early vote count.

Steyer remained mathematically capable of moving into one of the top two spots, but the overnight results offered little indication that he was closing the gap. If the current standings remain largely intact, the November race will likely favor Becerra, who would then face the challenge of governing the nation’s most populous state after eight years under Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Original source: CalMatters

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