Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton Square Off to Succeed Gavin Newsom

SACRAMENTO & PLEASANT HILL, Calif. — California voters are choosing a new chief executive for the first time in 8 years on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as termed-out Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom prepares to leave office and voters decide 7 statewide constitutional contests at the top of the 2026 general election ballot.

Governor's Race: Democrat Xavier Becerra ($38M Raised) vs. Republican Steve Hilton ($33M+ Raised)

As reported by CBS Sacramento, the gubernatorial contest pits Democrat Xavier Becerra—the former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, former California Attorney General, and 12-term Los Angeles congressman—against Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, political strategist, and policy adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Key campaign metrics and policy platforms in the gubernatorial race include:

• Fundraising & Polling: Becerra has raised $38 million for his campaign and held a 15-percentage-point lead over Hilton in an October survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), aided by a statewide voter registration advantage in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 4.6 million voters (nearly 2 to 1). Hilton has raised more than $33 million as he seeks to become the first Republican elected to statewide office in California since former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger won reelection in 2006.
• Tax, Energy & Affordability Platforms: Becerra has campaigned on expanding healthcare access, lowering childcare and housing costs, and defending California's climate and reproductive-rights laws. Hilton has centered his campaign on deregulation, lowering California gasoline prices to $3 per gallon, eliminating state income taxes for households earning under $150,000, and replacing California's progressive income tax brackets with a 7.5% flat tax above $150,000.

Six Down-Ballot Constitutional Contests: Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, and Fiscal Officers

According to Patch Danville, Californians are also electing 6 down-ballot constitutional officers on Tuesday:

• Attorney General: Incumbent Democrat Rob Bonta, who received 56.6% of the vote in the June 2 primary, faces Republican Deputy U.S. Attorney Michael E. Gates, who captured 37.9% in the primary.
• Insurance Commissioner: Two Democrats—State Senator Ben Allen and former San Francisco Supervisor and attorney Jane Kim—are competing to regulate California's $3.3 trillion insurance industry and stabilize the state's FAIR Plan. Kim has highlighted that CEOs at the 10 largest insurers collected $391 million over the past 3 years, while Allen has emphasized stabilizing homeowner coverage in wildfire-prone communities.
• Secretary of State & Controller: Appointed Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber faces Republican Orange County Supervisor Donald P. Wagner, while incumbent Democratic State Controller Malia M. Cohen faces Republican challenger Herb W. Morgan.
• State Treasurer & Lieutenant Governor: Termed-out Democratic Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is running for State Treasurer against Republican retired executive Jennifer Hawks, while Democratic State Treasurer Fiona Ma is running for Lieutenant Governor against Republican Gloria Romero.