By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-06-10 04:37:03 | Updated at 2026-06-10 15:30:16
11 hours ago
California’s next governor will succeed Gavin Newsom and take charge of one of the world’s biggest economies
Published: 12:11pm, 10 Jun 2026
Updated: 12:30pm, 10 Jun 2026
The race for California governor in November will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in America’s most populous state.
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, Associated Press determined on Tuesday. He will face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and health secretary under President Joe Biden.
The winner will succeed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom to lead the state that is home to roughly 39 million people, Hollywood, a booming tech industry and a vast farming region that helps feed the nation. By itself, California represents one of the largest economies in the world at US$4.25 trillion.
Newsom, one of his party’s top foils against the Trump administration, was widely seen as eyeing a run for president himself in 2028.
The next governor will have to take on stubborn issues including a high cost of living, housing shortages and homelessness.
Hilton is banking his campaign on voters being frustrated enough to do something they have not done in two decades: elect a Republican to statewide office. The last time that happened was when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term in 2006. Hilton has campaigned as an outsider who would bring change after more than 15 years of one-party rule.
