June 6, 2026, 8:51 a.mJune 6, 2026, 8:53 a.m
In the race to succeed California Governor Gavin Newsom, Democratic former Secretary Xavier Becerra is forecast to have secured one of the two spots in the final round. The networks CNN and NBC as well as the AP news agency concluded that Becerra received enough votes in Tuesday’s primary election that he can no longer slip to third place.
Democrat Xavier Becerra.Image: keystone
There was no determination in the forecasts as to who he would be running against in the actual election in November. Becerra is currently in a neck-and-neck race with Republican candidate Steve Hilton. Both received over 26 percent of the vote.
Many Democrats
Another Democrat, Tom Steyer, is in third place with 21 percent. But the counting is still going on. In California, when voting by mail, the mailing date applies – and the ballot papers then have one week to arrive. It is often supporters of the Democratic Party who vote by post. US President Donald Trump spoke again of election fraud after Hilton, who he supported, was narrowly ahead immediately after the primary election.
Unlike many other states, in California the two best-placed applicants make it to the final round, regardless of their party affiliation. California is a Democratic stronghold. However, so many candidates entered the race that the party became concerned that two Republicans could end up in the final round because the Democratic candidates were stealing votes from each other.
Economic powerhouse California
Current Governor Gavin Newsom cannot run again after two terms in office. He is considered a possible Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential election. California is an economic power thanks, among other things, to the tech industry in Silicon Valley and its agricultural industry. At the same time, residents complain about high real estate prices and the cost of living.
Because of California’s importance, the state’s governor is also influential nationwide. Newsom’s predecessors included Ronald Reagan, who became president a few years later, and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger until 2011. He was the last Republican governor of California to date.
The 68-year-old Becerra was, among other things, secretary of health in President Joe Biden’s administration and attorney general of California. (hkl/sda/dpa)