Unlike his predecessor, Democratic Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra has made few promises on the campaign trail and only hinted at certain policy priorities.
Election 2026: California governor
Coverage from Lookout and content partners of the 2026 race to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor of California.
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It’s official: California picks Xavier Becerra to replace Gavin Newsom
Democrat Xavier Becerra easily won the race for governor in the most populous Democratic state in the country, defeating Republican Steve Hilton.
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For Californians drowning in healthcare costs, governor’s race offers few answers
Healthcare costs are rising faster than income and inflation. With the California governor’s race between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton headed into its final days, it’s still not clear what the candidates would do to fix it.
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Get up to speed fast on the California election with CalMatters’ guide for the still undecided
Californians have a full ballot for the November 2026 election, including a governor’s race, congressional seats and 14 propositions. Don’t miss your chance to make your ballot count.
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How would Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton manage California’s most precious resource, water?
CalMatters asked California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton how they’d manage conflicts over water. The Republican endorsed more spending on dams.
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What will California’s next governor do about healthcare? Here are Becerra and Hilton’s plans
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton say they’re mindful of voters’ worries about healthcare costs, but their plans don’t have much detail.
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Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has harsh criticisms, sweeping fixes for California schools
As governor, Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host, would turn to voters, if necessary, for school vouchers, end teacher tenure and institute a cellphone ban for kids under age 14.
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Steve Hilton: Abolish the DMV
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says he wants to abolish the California Department of Motor Vehicles by transferring its functions to a combination of online services and local county offices. If elected, he says he would also cap the annual vehicle registration at a flat fee of $73.
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See which Santa Cruz County communities backed Becerra, Steyer and Hilton
Santa Cruz County’s gubernatorial primary results revealed a clear demographic divide: Tom Steyer performed best in whiter, more college-educated communities, while Xavier Becerra drew strong support from Latino-majority areas such as Watsonville, helping propel him into the November run-off against Republican Steve Hilton.
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Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off in California governor’s race
The race for California governor this fall will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in the nation’s most populous state.
