# Democrat Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/democrat-xavier-becerra-wins-california-governors-race-defeating-republican-steve-hilton/
- Published: 2026-11-04T04:12:28+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T06:26:08+00:00
- Original publisher: PBS NewsHour (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrat-xavier-becerra-wins-california-governors-race-defeating-republican-steve-hilton
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- Xavier Becerra defeated Steve Hilton to become California’s next governor.
- His win extends Democrats’ 16-year streak in statewide elections.
- Becerra will be the state’s first Latino governor since the 19th century.

## Summary

Xavier Becerra has won California’s governor’s race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton and succeeding Gavin Newsom. His victory keeps the state under Democratic leadership and sets up continued opposition between California and President Donald Trump’s administration, as Becerra has pledged to challenge Trump’s policies.

Becerra, a former state attorney general, congressman and US health secretary, has more than 35 years of public service and will be California’s first Latino governor since the 19th century. Hilton, a former Fox News host with no elected-office experience, blamed one-party rule for the state’s high living costs and homelessness; he also promised to abolish the DMV and cut petrol prices to $3 a gallon.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.