Key facts
- Xavier Becerra is projected to advance to the California governor general election.
- Xavier Becerra is the first Latino candidate to advance to the California governor general election.
- Steve Hilton is projected to advance to the California governor runoff election.
- Steve Hilton received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
- Steve Hilton narrowly defeated Tom Steyer in the primary.
- Steve Hilton launched a 55-second ad criticizing Xavier Becerra's 36-year political career.
- Sonja Shaw is leading the primary election for California Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Richard Barrera is in second place in the primary for California Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Congressman Kevin Kiley is expected to win his race against Proposition 50.
- An antisemitic conspiracy theorist received a substantial number of votes in the California gubernatorial election.
Democrat Xavier Becerra has been projected to advance to the general election for California governor, according to CBS News projections. This marks a significant achievement as Becerra becomes the first Latino candidate to reach this stage in the gubernatorial race. Vote counting is ongoing, with a high percentage of mail-in ballots contributing to delays in finalizing results for several key races.
Republican Steve Hilton is also projected to advance to the runoff election for California governor. Hilton, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, narrowly defeated Tom Steyer in the primary. Hilton has launched a 55-second campaign advertisement criticizing Becerra's 36-year political career and his record on issues such as homelessness and high-speed rail. Despite Hilton's projection to the runoff, he faces an uphill battle in the general election due to a significant imbalance of Democratic voters over Republicans in California.
In other races, Republican Sonja Shaw is leading the primary election for California's next Superintendent of Public Instruction. Her lead is attributed to a split among Democratic contenders, with San Diego board president Richard Barrera currently in second place. Separately, Congressman Kevin Kiley is expected to secure a likely win against Proposition 50, a Democratic-backed redistricting effort that appears to have backfired in a key district.
An antisemitic conspiracy theorist, associated with Charlie Kirk, also received a substantial number of votes in the California gubernatorial election, despite facing widespread condemnation. The critical California governor's race is beginning to take shape as these key figures emerge as potential contenders for the upcoming election.