California Gubernatorial Race Update

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has officially made it to the November general election for governor, becoming the first of two candidates to secure a spot on the ballot.

As of Friday evening, Becerra (D-Calif.) had garnered 1,688,404 votes, which is about 26.7% of the counted ballots. With 67% of the total votes in, his lead over the third-place candidate was substantial enough to ensure he would finish in the top two, securing his place in the general election.

Becerra expressed gratitude to his supporters in a recent message, thanking volunteers for their hard work. He emphasized that the campaign is just beginning, looking ahead to November.

In California, the election system differs from traditional partisan primaries, utilizing a nonpartisan blanket primary. This approach, established by voters through Proposition 14, allows all candidates running for state and federal offices—like the gubernatorial race—to appear on a single, unified ballot.

Meanwhile, in the contest for the second spot on the November ballot, Republican businessman Steve Hilton holds a noticeable lead over fellow Democrat Tom Steyer. Reports indicate that Hilton received 1,666,522 votes (about 26.4%), while Steyer has 1,328,712 votes (approximately 21.0%).

This is a developing story, and updates are expected to follow.