Overview
- Multiple mid‑to‑late October polls, including Emerson and the Public Policy Institute of California, show Xavier Becerra ahead by roughly two dozen percentage points in the governor’s race.
- Steve Hilton has intensified rallies and media events in the final week and rolled out policy packages such as “Operation Zero Waste,” $3 gas, steep tax cuts, canceling high‑speed rail, and homeless recovery centers.
- Analysts say Hilton’s proposals face practical barriers because California has a large Democratic voter advantage and a Democratic legislature that would limit or block sweeping changes and funding shifts.
- Becerra has run a lower‑profile, turnout‑focused campaign, appearing at union and community events and mobilizing Democrats against voter ID and for down‑ballot races rather than matching Hilton’s flashy policy stunts.
- The outcome now depends on turnout dynamics: an unusually strong Republican vote and weak Democratic participation could narrow the gap, while current polling suggests most undecided and independent voters are leaning toward Becerra.