Polls suggest tight, three-way governor’s race among Becerra, Steyer and Hilton
After months of twists and turns, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ads and a bombshell scandal that rocked the race, Election Day in California’s closely watched gubernatorial primary is here.
Polls suggest a tight three-way contest involving Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer as well as Republican Steve Hilton. After months of Democratic hand-wringing over the possibility of two Republicans advancing to the general election, more recent polls suggest it’s more plausible — though still not likely — that two Democrats, Becerra and Steyer, could advance to the November vote under California’s top-two primary system.
Given California’s slow-counting electoral process tied to mail-in ballots, it could be days or even weeks before it’s clear who won what’s already been the most expensive governor’s race in U.S. history, according to the media firm AdImpact.
Here’s what you need to know.
A race with many zigs and zags
There hasn’t been a primary for California governor this uncertain since at least 1998, when Democrat Gray Davis emerged from a crowded field to win the party’s nomination.
This year, Democrats’ best-known potential candidates, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, flirted with the idea of running but ultimately decided against it.
That left a crowded field and no obvious frontrunner for much of the race. When the California Democratic Party held its convention in February, no candidate won a majority of the delegates’ votes. Powerful unions bided their time and key endorsers, like Newsom and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, stayed on the sidelines.
That began to change this spring, when former Rep. Eric Swalwell appeared to be gathering some momentum from endorsements and key donors. But Swalwell’s campaign imploded after he was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct — allegations he denies — and suspended his campaign.
Becerra, a former state attorney general with a measured demeanor, quickly gained momentum, rising from the mid-single-digits in polls to the top of the Democratic field. Steyer, a billionaire progressive activist running a more ideological campaign, has steadily crept up in the polls as he’s invested more than $200 million in his campaign.
Hilton, a former Fox News host, has been able to widen his lead over fellow Republican Chad Bianco, sheriff of Riverside County, after winning an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
A handful of Democrats, including former Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, have struggled to keep up in recent polls.
Where the race stands on Election Day
Steyer and other Democrats have attacked Becerra’s leadership as secretary of Health and Human Services under former President Joe Biden, his connections to a corruption scandal that ensnared two close former allies and the willingness of corporations like Chevron and Meta to back his candidacy through independent committees.
Becerra has knocked Steyer for his past investments in fossil fuels and private prisons and his campaign’s use of paid influencers. Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing in the corruption case, though that did not stop Steyer’s campaign from suggesting he might be indicted in eleventh-hour TV ads that drew a cease-and-desist warning from Becerra’s attorney.
Most election watchers, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have warned voters not to expect complete results Tuesday night given the tight contest.
Where to vote and check results
Voters who haven’t already cast ballots can find their polling place on the Secretary of State’s website.
Results will also be posted there beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Hilton and his campaign will be watching results from Huntington Beach, Steyer will be in San Francisco and Becerra is hosting an event in Los Angeles.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Polls suggest tight, three-way governor’s race among Becerra, Steyer and Hilton."
