Becerra wins California race to replace Newsom as governor

Democrat Xavier Becerra is projected to win the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in California, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Becerra, a former state attorney general, bested Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the Golden State’s general election after leading in every poll since he notched first place in this summer’s top-two, nonpartisan primary.

California hasn’t elected a Republican statewide in two decades, but some in the GOP saw an opening as Democrats squabbled over who would replace Newsom as leader of the state that represents the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) was seen as the front-runner earlier this year, but he exited the race and resigned from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations. His departure helped clear a path for Becerra, who surged alongside Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer.

Steyer, who spent more than $200 million on his run, ended his campaign and endorsed Becerra after a third-place primary finish.

Becerra was boosted by his experience running statewide, his time in the Biden White House and his appeal to Latinos, who make up a significant portion of the state’s electorate. He’s now set to become California’s first Latino governor in more than a century.

The Democrat also sought to tie rival Hilton, a London-born former British Conservative Party adviser, to President Trump, whose approval rating has slipped even among Republican voters in the blue state.

Hilton pitched his campaign as a change to the status quo under Democratic leadership, hammering Becerra’s record as Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration, but he couldn’t scrounge up enough support to be truly competitive in Democrat-dominated California.

Becerra has big shoes to fill as Newsom, long floated as a potential presidential contender, exits the governor’s mansion. Under Newsom’s tenure, California has been a leader of Democratic states’ resistance to the Trump administration — and Becerra will be on the national stage as Trump enters the second half of his second term.