LOS ANGELES — Republican candidate Steve Hilton has secured his place in the upcoming November general election for California governor, where he will compete against Democrat Xavier Becerra.
With 88% of votes tallied, ABC News announced Hilton’s progression to the general election stage on Tuesday afternoon.
The race saw early exits from contenders Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, who withdrew shortly after the initial results surfaced. Katie Porter also stepped down from the race as more votes were counted and her chances diminished.
Hilton now faces the daunting task of appealing to a predominantly Democratic voter base in California, a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans almost two to one. Should he succeed, Hilton would become the first Republican to clinch a statewide office in California since 2006.
Despite the odds, Hilton remains optimistic about his chances in the upcoming election.
“Change is coming to California,” Hilton said the day after the election. “That is good news for everyone.”
The outcome means Democratic candidate Tom Steyer did not qualify for the November election.
During the campaign Hilton attacked Democrats over the state’s high cost of living, the homelessness crisis and other issues. He pledged to lower prices for everything from gas to housing; make Californians’ first $100,000 free of income tax; create a loan program for first-time homebuyers; and freeze in-state tuition at public colleges.
Hilton was endorsed in April by President Donald Trump, which helped him consolidate support among Republican voters in the primary but could be a liability in the general election.
Hilton, who has never held elected office, came to the United States in 2012 from the United Kingdom, where he was an adviser to Conservative Party officials including former Prime Minister David Cameron. He had a show on Fox News from 2017 to 2023 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021.
Hilton often mentions his parents’ experience fleeing communism in Hungary before migrating to the U.K. as a formative part of his family’s history that helped shape his conservative worldview.
Steyer has put more than $216 million of his personal fortune into his campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Stay with us for the latest details on this developing story.
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