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Ongoing story / Steve Hilton

The 2026 California governor race: Xavier Becerra vs. Steve Hilton

Overview · reviewed November 5, 2026

Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former US health secretary, won California's 2026 race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a CBS News projection, defeating Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump.[1][2][3][4] They had advanced from the June primary to the November general election.[5] Becerra led in polls, by 18 points in a UC Berkeley poll reported in August and by 27 points in an October poll.[6][7]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

They had advanced from the June primary to the November general election.[5] Becerra led in polls, by 18 points in a UC Berkeley poll reported in August and by 27 points in an October poll.[6][7]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-03-31 (UTC): 6%, 12 of 205 tracked outlets (1 left, 7 center, 4 right)Week of 2025-04-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-21 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 206 tracked outlets (1 left, 4 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-04-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): 23%, 43 of 187 tracked outlets (12 left, 20 center, 11 right)Week of 2025-08-04 (UTC): 4%, 8 of 194 tracked outlets (1 left, 6 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): 2%, 4 of 181 tracked outlets (0 left, 2 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): 2%, 5 of 209 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): 14%, 26 of 189 tracked outlets (5 left, 12 center, 9 right)Week of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): 4%, 8 of 189 tracked outlets (1 left, 5 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): 7%, 12 of 170 tracked outlets (2 left, 4 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): 14%, 21 of 154 tracked outlets (5 left, 9 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): 3%, 5 of 157 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-04-27 (UTC): 6%, 10 of 160 tracked outlets (4 left, 4 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): 2%, 3 of 185 tracked outlets (0 left, 3 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-06-01 (UTC): 15%, 27 of 186 tracked outlets (10 left, 11 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-06-08 (UTC): 11%, 21 of 200 tracked outlets (4 left, 9 center, 8 right)Week of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): 2%, 13 of 562 tracked outlets (3 left, 4 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): under 1%, 1 of 537 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): 1%, 8 of 545 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): 3%, 15 of 480 tracked outlets (3 left, 10 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): under 1%, 2 of 480 tracked outlets (0 left, 2 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 2%, 8 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 4 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 7%, 35 of 476 tracked outlets (5 left, 20 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 1%, 7 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 5 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): 1%, 5 of 473 tracked outlets (0 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 7%, 33 of 471 tracked outlets (8 left, 16 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 4 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (26 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 2026816933 of 4717%
Oct 26, 20260325 of 4731%
Oct 19, 20261517 of 4791%
Oct 5, 20261146 of 4791%
Sep 28, 20265201035 of 4767%
Sep 21, 20261438 of 4792%
Sep 14, 20260202 of 480under 1%
Sep 7, 2026310215 of 4803%
Aug 10, 20261348 of 5451%
Aug 3, 20260011 of 537under 1%
Jul 20, 202634613 of 5622%
Jun 8, 202649821 of 20011%
Jun 1, 20261011627 of 18615%
May 25, 20260303 of 1852%
Apr 27, 202644210 of 1606%
Apr 20, 20261315 of 1573%
Apr 6, 202659721 of 15414%
Mar 23, 202624612 of 1707%
Jan 26, 20261528 of 1894%
Nov 17, 2025512926 of 18914%
Nov 3, 20251315 of 2092%
Oct 6, 20250224 of 1812%
Aug 4, 20251618 of 1944%
Jul 28, 202512201143 of 18723%
Apr 21, 20251416 of 2063%
Mar 31, 202517412 of 2056%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 4, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Tahoe Daily Tribune

    Governor-elect Becerra must quickly confront state budget mess Newsom left behind (Opinion)

Background

The field seeking to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom changed repeatedly before the 2026 primary. Former Vice President Kamala Harris said in July 2025 that she would not run,[8] and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis ended her bid in August to run for state treasurer.[9] Sen. Alex Padilla ruled out a campaign in November.[10] Businessman Tom Steyer and Rep. Eric Swalwell entered that month,[11][4] followed by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in January 2026.[12] Former state Controller Betty Yee withdrew in April.[13]

Read the full background (4 more paragraphs)

The primary debates drew attention to both the candidates and the selection process. In March, the University of Southern California canceled a planned debate after criticism that its polling and fundraising criteria excluded every candidate of color.[14] Eight candidates participated in another debate in late April.[15]

Trump endorsed Hilton in April.[2] The June primary ultimately sent Hilton and Becerra to the general election. Steyer had been competing with them for the two places.[5]

Hilton launched his general election campaign in July by appealing to voters who opposed Trump.[16] In September, he proposed abolishing the Department of Motor Vehicles and capping annual vehicle registration fees at $73.[17] Hilton and Becerra faced each other in a CNN debate on September 30, with their exchanges including disagreement over Trump.[18]

Reports in late September again put Becerra ahead while describing limited voter enthusiasm for him.[3] A poll in October gave Becerra a 27-point lead with two weeks left in the campaign.[7] In the final days Hilton rallied in Fresno, and Becerra drew attention by opening the door to a mileage tax to pay for road repairs.[19][20]

Supporting stories (20)
  1. Becerra elected California governor; Bonta reelected AG
  2. How Trump's endorsement of Steve Hilton impacts California governor's race
  3. Xavier Becerra expands lead over Steve Hilton in California governor's race, poll shows
  4. Rep. Eric Swalwell announces run for California governor
  5. Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton advance in race for California governor; Both will face off in Nov. election
  6. Becerra holds strong lead over Hilton in race for California governor, new poll shows
  7. New poll shows Becerra with wide lead over Hilton in California governor race
  8. Former VP Kamala Harris says she will not be running for California governor next year
  9. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis drops out of California governor’s race
  10. Sen. Alex Padilla says he won't run for governor of California, plans to remain in the Senate
  11. Tom Steyer Announces Run for California Governor
  12. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announces run for California governor
  13. Democrat Betty Yee drops out of race for California governor
  14. California governor debate canceled after criticism from candidates of color, lawmakers
  15. All 8 candidates for California governor clash in tense debate as Primary Election looms
  16. Republican Hilton tells Californians they can hate Trump but still vote for him in governor’s race
  17. Steve Hilton proposes abolishing California DMV, capping registration fees at $73
  18. California governor's race: Meet candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton
  19. Steve Hilton rallies in Fresno, hosts $3 gas event in Sanger days before Election Day
  20. California drivers fume as gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra opens door to mileage tax: ‘You’re taxing the poor’

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 34 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Dan Walters: As Governor, Xavier Becerra Must Quickly Confront Budget Mess Gavin Newsom Left BehindHeadline from Nooz Hawk · 3 outlets
  2. Becerra elected California governor; Bonta reelected AGHeadline from Sierra Sun · 37 outlets

October 2026

  1. Steve Hilton rallies in Fresno, hosts $3 gas event in Sanger days before Election DayHeadline from Your Central Valley · 2 outlets
  2. California drivers fume as gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra opens door to mileage tax: ‘You’re taxing the poor’Headline from New York Post · 2 outlets
  3. Election countdown: Steve Hilton talks jobs, Xavier Becerra hangs with LGBTQ leaders with 4 days to goHeadline from New York Post · 2 outlets
  4. New poll shows Becerra with wide lead over Hilton in California governor raceHeadline from KTLA Los Angeles · 7 outlets
  5. Becerra's 'son of immigrants' story emerges as latest flash point in governor's raceHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 4 outlets
  6. Steve Hilton faces steep odds in bid for California governor after 20-year GOP droughtHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 5 outlets

September 2026

  1. California governor's race: Meet candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve HiltonHeadline from KTVU San Francisco · 37 outlets
  2. What will California’s next governor do about healthcare? Here are Becerra and Hilton’s plansHeadline from CalMatters · 3 outlets
  3. Xavier Becerra expands lead over Steve Hilton in California governor's race, poll showsHeadline from ABC 7 Los Angeles · 4 outlets
  4. Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Brings $3 Gas to Goleta for Campaign StopHeadline from Nooz Hawk · 4 outlets
  5. Steve Hilton vs. Becerra: Latest California Polls With 7 Weeks to MidtermHeadline from Newsweek · 2 outlets
  6. Steve Hilton proposes abolishing California DMV, capping registration fees at $73Headline from Foxla · 6 outlets
  7. CNN to host California gubernatorial debate ahead of November electionHeadline from KVIA El Paso · 12 outlets

August 2026

  1. Becerra holds strong lead over Hilton in race for California governor, new poll showsHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 9 outlets

July 2026

  1. Republican Hilton tells Californians they can hate Trump but still vote for him in governor’s raceHeadline from Daily Journal · 13 outlets

June 2026

  1. Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in race for California governorHeadline from Winchester Star · 26 outlets
  2. Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton advance in race for California governor; Both will face off in Nov. electionHeadline from FOX 29 Philadelphia · 26 outlets

May 2026

  1. California primary election results for key 2026 races including still-undecided match-ups for governor, LA mayorHeadline from CBS News · 10 outlets
  2. Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton lead the pack in the race for California governor, new poll showsHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 3 outlets

April 2026

  1. All 8 candidates for California governor clash in tense debate as Primary Election loomsHeadline from ABC 30 Fresno · 10 outlets
  2. Democrat Betty Yee drops out of race for California governorHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 5 outlets
  3. How Trump's endorsement of Steve Hilton impacts California governor's raceHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 22 outlets

March 2026

  1. California governor debate canceled after criticism from candidates of color, lawmakersHeadline from Times Of San Diego · 12 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →