California’s Nov. 3 election pulls two candidates to the governor’s seat: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton. In the June 2 primary election, Becerra received 28% of votes and Hilton received 24.6% of votes, according to the vote count published by the California Clerk’s Office.
READ MORE: Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra lead primary governor race
California’s governor serves as the chief executive of the state, shaping national policy trends, overseeing California’s economy and governing approximately 39.3 million people.
Candidates
Xavier Becerra — Democrat
Xavier Becerra is a former U.S. health secretary and former state attorney general. His major focuses for his campaign include health care and fighting President Donald Trump. Notable endorsements include Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Dawn Addis.
Steve Hilton — Republican
Steve Hilton is a former adviser to the U.K. prime minister and a former Fox News host. His major focuses for his campaign include $3 gas promises, school system reform and abolishing the DMV. Notable endorsements from Donald Trump, according to CalMatters.
Education
Xavier Becerra
Becerra has no major stance on education, according to his campaign website.
Steve Hilton
Hilton’s campaign strives to utilize technology to aid in human learning in schools but to ban technology that impedes learning and development, according to his campaign website.
Housing
Xavier Becerra
Becerra plans to declare a state of emergency for the California housing market and streamline delivering the state’s housing commitments. Additionally, Becerra plans to make building housing easier and simplify the state affordable housing funding process, according to his website.
Steve Hilton
Hilton’s plans to build more affordable homes by capping costs on government regulations like zoning restrictions, delays in building-code changes, and required studies, according to his campaign website. Hilton intends to target family homes to aid first-time homebuyers.
Climate
Xavier Becerra
Becerra’s plans to invest in clean energy and grid resilience to work towards affordable energy, according to his campaign website. Additionally, Becerra’s climate agenda focuses on wildfire prevention and protections. He plans to create the first statewide plan on community wildfire risks, according to his campaign website.
Steve Hilton
Hilton aims to improve California’s wildfire policy through preventative action, rewarding homeowner fire safety, aligning insurance with prevention methods and creating a new fire force dedicated to early detection and prevention, according to his campaign website.
Tech & AI
Xavier Becerra
“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 campaign website.
Steve Hilton
“Artificial intelligence is a foundational technology with major national security implications. The global race is happening now, largely between the United States and China,” Hilton wrote on his campaign website. “If California weakens its position, America’s leadership is weakened with it.”
Economy
Xavier Becerra
Becerra plans to stand up to price gouging, expand childcare and lower prices to create an affordable California, according to his campaign website.
Steve Hilton
Hilton plans to focus on gas prices and promises supporters $3 gas. He plans to eliminate extreme environmental program costs, suspend the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, eliminate the 60 cents per gallon state tax and take additional deregulation measures to decrease the gas price, according to his campaign website.
Health care
Xavier Becerra
Becerra started his career as a legal advocate for people with mental illness and fought for every family to have the same assurance of care, according to his campaign website.
He plans to create the “California Prevention First” initiative to focus on keeping Californians healthy through preventative care.
Steve Hilton
Hilton’s campaign addresses concerns on the cost of health care in California and proposes cutting the costs of employer health care, giving patients more control over their insurance and providing a low-cost insurance alternative, according to his campaign website.