California governor candidates Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra are likely to move forward to the general election based on current vote count published by the California Clerk’s Office.
Hilton received 1,083,000 votes counted in the initial announcement, which is 26.6% of the votes counted from the California Secretary of State. Becerra is leading with 1,052,000 votes which is 25.9% of the initial results.
Tom Steyer, the progressive billionaire, follows behind and has received 801,000 votes so far — about 19.7% of the votes counted in initial results. The Secretary of State has counted 51.8% of votes as of 9:24 p.m..
In San Luis Obispo County, 31.4% of San Luis Obispo County voters voted for Hilton, and 20.8% of voters voted for Becerra, according to the initial count from the County Clerk’s Office.
Within San Luis Obispo County, 17.8% of voters voted for Steyer.
The general election will be held on Nov. 3, where voters will vote on the top two candidates, Hilton and Becerra, to determine who will represent California from 2027-30.
Hilton was a strategy advisor to the former U.K. prime minister and a businessman, developing several businesses including his nonprofit, Golden Together.
Becerra was the secretary of health and human services under the Biden administration. Prior to that, he was a California assemblymember for two years, a U.S. representative for 24 years and the California attorney general for four years.
Hilton’s goals
Hilton’s goals in his governor’s campaign include increasing job opportunities and increasing housing accessibility.
Hilton plans to reduce taxes to help with Californians’ affordability. If governor, he would remove tax on income under $100,000, mandate a 7.5% flat tax on income over $100,000 and prevent increases on property taxes.
“Democrats brag about California being the ‘world’s fifth largest economy,’ and that’s true,” Hilton wrote on his website. “But that ignores the fact that over a third of Californians can’t meet their basic needs.”
Hilton additionally would cap housing taxes and reduce anti-housing regulations to help all Californians become homeowners. He wants to prioritize homes over apartments to ensure every Californian can own a house.
“In a state as big as California, where just 5% of the land is developed, there’s plenty of room to build the housing we need,” Hilton wrote on his website. “[Democrats] call it ‘sprawl.’ I call it the California Dream, and I will do everything I can to restore it.”
Becerra’s goals
Becerra’s goals in his governor’s campaign include fighting the housing crisis and regulating artificial intelligence.
Becerra plans to issue an executive order to declare California’s housing shortage as a state of emergency to encourage every state agency to prioritize housing production. He plans to cut the cost of building housing, enforce state housing law and expand the path to homeownership.
“For too long, California simply hasn’t built enough homes, and working families have paid the price,” Becerra wrote on his website. “The California Dream of owning a home, building wealth, staying in the community you love, isn’t just slipping away. For too many, it’s already gone.”
Becerra wants to regulate AI to ensure that California takes advantage of the technology’s promise while still protecting vulnerable populations and ensuring it does not pose risks to public safety.
“I am determined to channel this technology for human benefit, not as an engine of private wealth for the few, but as a force that lifts every Californian,” Becerra wrote on his website.
