California voters closed out a long and expensive governor's race on Tuesday, choosing between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. Becerra won the race and is set to become the state's next chief executive after a campaign dominated by arguments over the cost of living.
A Call Comes Quickly After Polls Close
Becerra won the race, defeating Republican Steve Hilton and becoming California's next governor. The Los Angeles Times described Becerra's win as historic. CBS News Los Angeles covered Becerra and Hilton as Election Day came to an end. The contest followed Gavin Newsom's tenure as governor.
Per the same CalMatters account, Becerra and Hilton finished first and second in the June primary, setting up their general-election matchup.
Money, Polling and an Uphill Battle
The race was never close in the polls. CalMatters reported that polls consistently showed Becerra with a substantial lead over Hilton. Money told a tighter story: the CalMatters report put Hilton's fundraising at more than $33 million, compared with Becerra's $38 million, a gap far narrower than the polling spread.
Hilton, a former Fox News host according to KTLA, campaigned on eliminating state income taxes on the first $150,000 of earnings, a proposal also detailed by CalMatters. Becerra, meanwhile, campaigned as a check on Washington, with KTLA describing him as running to keep California a liberal counterweight to the Trump administration.
Affordability Was the Shared Starting Point
Both candidates agreed California had become unaffordable for working families, CalMatters reported, adding that was about all they agreed on. KTLA reported that Hilton blamed fifteen years of Democratic leadership for making the state increasingly unaffordable, framing his tax plan as the remedy.
That argument played out most directly at what CNN called the likely only debate between the two candidates, held in late September ahead of the race to replace Newsom. At that debate, Hilton proposed eliminating state income taxes on the first $150,000 Californians earn while applying a flat 8% rate above that threshold, a plan also detailed by CalMatters.
Fees, Classrooms and Data Centers
The debate also surfaced newer flashpoints beyond taxes. CNN reported Hilton announced a proposal to cap government fees for construction at $50,000, and separately reiterated his call for an immediate pause on AI use in classrooms.
Becerra enters office with a resume CBS News Los Angeles and KTLA both referenced during the campaign: a former California attorney general and U.S. health and human services secretary now stepping into the governor's chair. CalMatters reported that Hilton raised more than $33 million.
