Democrat Xavier Becerra Advances to November Race for California Governor

Becerra Clinches First Place in Gubernatorial Primary

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has secured a spot in November's general election for California governor, NBC News projects, capping what the Santa Barbara Independent called "a sudden and dramatic ascent."

With approximately 66% of votes counted as of Friday evening, Becerra has secured 26.7% of the vote in Tuesday's primary election. The career politician surged from single-digit polling just months earlier to become the first candidate to advance to the runoff.

Second-Place Battle Remains Too Close to Call

While Becerra's advancement is confirmed, his November opponent remains uncertain. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Trump, holds a razor-thin lead with 26.4% of the vote. Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer trails closely with 21% support, according to Associated Press tallies.

The margin between Hilton and Becerra was just 8,700 votes as of Friday afternoon. However, late-counted ballots typically favor Democratic candidates, as many Democratic voters held onto their ballots until the last minute, CalMatters reported.

Steyer has not conceded and could still make up ground among the nearly three million votes that remain to be counted. County election officials have up to 30 days after the election to count ballots, with final results due to the Secretary of State by July 3.

Local Santa Barbara Context and Endorsements

Santa Barbara County's results reflected the statewide trend, with Steyer leading at 5% ahead of Hilton, while Becerra placed third in the county as of Friday.

The Santa Barbara Independent endorsed Steyer in its pre-primary editorial, expressing reservations about Becerra's leadership during his time as Health Secretary during the COVID crisis. The paper noted they "struggled to achieve a sense of clarity on this endorsement longer than ever in our 40-year history."

However, local progressive group Indivisible Santa Barbara endorsed both Steyer and Becerra as "the only two Democrats with a likely chance to win."

A Comeback Campaign Story

Becerra's rise represents one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent California political history. Just four months ago, the former congressman and state attorney general was polling at 3% and faced pressure from the California Democratic Party to drop out of the race.

His fortunes changed dramatically following the political implosion of former frontrunner Eric Swalwell in April amid sexual assault allegations. Establishment Democrats quickly coalesced around Becerra, with consequential endorsements and funding from labor and industry groups.

"The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly," Becerra said in a statement Friday. "We will not be bought. We will not be bullied."

What November Holds

The November matchup will depend heavily on whether Hilton or Steyer advances. If it's Hilton, Becerra would be heavily favored given that Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two-to-one statewide, and Trump's endorsement of Hilton could prove problematic in a state where the former president remains unpopular.

A Becerra-Steyer matchup would create an intra-party Democratic battle, with Steyer representing the progressive wing after spending $216 million of his own fortune on the campaign.

If elected in November, Becerra would become the first Latino to serve as California governor in more than a century and the first to win the seat via election rather than succession.