MAE O’MALLEY / NEWS WRITER

California’s June primary election narrowed the governor’s race to two candidates, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, who will face off in the general election this November. 

California implemented a top-two primary system following the passage of Proposition 14 in 2010, under which the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party.  

Becerra, the son of two Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in Sacramento. He most recently served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden, and previously as California Attorney General and as a congressman representing California’s 30th, 31st and 34th districts over 24 years. He has been endorsed by current Governor Gavin Newsom.

Becerra made  a  name    for himself as California Attorney General, suing President Trump 122 times. 

“I had the privilege to represent and defend California when Trump attacked our laws or values, and I am ready to get back in the ring again as Governor,” Becerra wrote on his website. 

Hilton, a British-born naturalized U.S. citizen, served as a senior adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron and hosted his own show on Fox News for six years. He moved to the Bay Area in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. Though endorsed by President Trump, Hilton has worked to appeal to Californians who don’t support Trump, buying ads in both the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle to reach hesitant voters.

Voter awareness of the race remains mixed. USD senior Isabella Mariano comments on her awareness of the election. 

“I unfortunately  do  not  have any interest or knowledge  about the race or the candidates,” stated Mariano. 

USD senior Bridget Kolshorn, an out-of-state student, said she pays closer attention to politics once she’s back on campus after the summer. 

“I know nothing about it actually,” Kolshorn stated. “When I am back in California I will start caring.”In the June primary, voters ages 18 to 34 made up 13% of the electorate, a 3-point increase from 2022, according to political data intelligence. Both candidates maintain policy-focused websites and hold regular news conferences to build turnout, though they have not yet debated  

The two candidates  have laid out many similar policies that they hope to reform or work on, but they have not debated. Beyond those, Becerra and Hilton diverge on housing, homelessness and gas prices.

Housing

California’s worsening housing shortage has been a major priority for over 70% of voters, according to a University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology poll. Both buyers and renters are affected, as struggling homeowners are less likely to rent out property.The state currently plans to build 2.5 million new housing units by the end of the decade. 

Becerra’s plan centers on expanding affordable housing, including  financing   for   40,000 units already built. He would begin by issuing an executive order declaring a state of emergency, then push to reform zoning, lower construction costs and streamline housing approvals. Becerra has framed the plan as reopening opportunity for working families like his own

Hilton favors deregulating construction  to free   up land for single-family homes, with an emphasis on affordable starter homes.

“We don’t need more excuses or more  bureaucracy,” Hilton said. “We need to build again — starter homes, at scale, at prices young families can actually afford. That’s how you open the door again. That’s how you make our state Califordable again.”

Homelessness

California counted 187,000 homeless state residents as of January 2024, most living in cars or tents. CalMatters found income loss, rather than the housing crisis alone, to be the leading cause of homelessness statewide.

Becerra views expanded housing as central to reducing homelessness and favors a “housing first” approach, placing unsheltered people into housing before connecting them with mental health and behavioral care.

 He has pledged to implement Proposition 1, including building thousands of new treatment beds.

Hilton instead supports banning street camping and clearing encampments, arguing that a housing-first approach hasn’t worked and that unsheltered people need to be removed from the streets before receiving services.

“[Living on the street] is against the law, and the law needs to be enforced,” Hilton commented in an interview with CalMatters. 

Gas prices 

Californians encounter steep prices, almost always higher than the national average. According to Bay Area news station (KQED), the average gas price in March 2026 was $5.88 per gallon. Now, prices waiver around $4.88 per gallon, according to AAA California. Rising gas prices are tied to California’s environmental regulations and taxes on gasoline refining and distribution. 

Becerra supports maintaining the state’s environmental and sustainability goals but has signaled openness to revisiting related policies if needed. Hilton favors loosening environmental regulations and cutting the state gas tax outright.

Voting details

A Berkeley IGS and Los Angeles Times poll placed Becerra as the frontrunner at 55%, with Hilton trailing behind at 37%. Around  7% of voters are undecided. 

The California general election will take place on November 3, 2026. All voters will receive a mail-in ballot but may vote in person instead. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days after.

California allows students to use their school address as their primary residence and therefore out-of-state students attending USD may vote in the election if they register to do so. Voters must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. 

Candidates Xavier Becca and Steve Hilton confer. Photo courtesy of @latimes/Instagram