Overview
- Xavier Becerra was projected the winner Tuesday as multiple major decision desks called the race and he is slated to be sworn in as governor in January 2027.
- His win makes him the first Latino elected governor of California in more than 150 years, a milestone noted by state and national outlets.
- Becerra’s path to the general election was reshaped after Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign in April, allowing Becerra to consolidate Democratic support and lead the June primary.
- The campaign highlighted clear contrasts: Becerra ran on experience and plans to tackle affordability, housing and health care while tying his case to defending state policies from President Trump’s administration; Steve Hilton ran as an outsider with a Trump endorsement and pitched tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks.
- Becerra inherits a Democratic-controlled legislature and urgent governance tasks—expanding housing, shoring up Medi‑Cal financing, wildfire and utility policy, and managing an adversarial relationship with the White House—that will directly affect costs and services for millions of Californians.