Conservative pundit Steve Hilton has advanced alongside former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra in California’s open primary for governor, pitting the two men against each other in November’s general election.
In a “jungle primary” in which candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot, with the top two going through regardless of party, the result, finally called by the Associated Press on Tuesday evening, sets up a two-horse race between a Republican and a Democrat.
The winner will succeed the term-limited Democratic incumbent Gavin Newsom, a sharp critic of President Donald Trump and possible future White House contender, in taking charge of a $4 trillion economy and confronting deep challenges on issues from water and affordability to homelessness.
Hilton is a British-born former Fox News host who became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and was endorsed by Trump. He was previously well-known as an adviser to former U.K. prime minister David Cameron, with a reputation for eccentricity.
He has likened his candidacy to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last immigrant to become the Golden State’s governor.
“My mission is clear: to go to Sacramento, clean up the corruption, cut your costs, help your business, and fix our schools,” Hilton said in a statement.
“Xavier Becerra is the ultimate career politician. After 36 years in the political machine, his policies gave California the highest poverty rate, the highest unemployment rate, and the highest cost of living in America. Now he promises ‘no change’ to those policies.”
Becerra is a former state attorney general and congressman from Los Angeles who went on to serve in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, leading the Department of Health and Human Services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Democrats coalesced around his candidacy after former frontrunner Eric Swalwell left the race and resigned from Congress in April after being hit by sexual assault allegations, which he denied.
