Hilton, Becerra take early lead in California Governor primary race
Key points
- Republican television commentator Steve Hilton and Democratic former Cabinet Secretary Xavier Becerra took the early lead in the open primary race for California governor on Tuesday (June 2, 2026).
- They each had about 26% of the vote with 42% of election night precincts partially reporting about an hour after polls closed, according to official results.
- Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer trailed them by about 6 points.
- Under California’s “jungle primary” system, the two highest vote-getters will advance to the November 3 general election regardless of party.
- Becerra is a former State Attorney General and U.S. congressman from Los Angeles who was secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.
📌 Source: The Hindu
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