California Governor's Race Tightens Ahead of Top-Two Primary
New polling shows Xavier Becerra leading, with Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer competing for a runoff spot.
LOS ANGELES | California's race for governor is tightening in the final stretch before the June primary, with new polling showing former California attorney general and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in front while the fight for the second runoff slot remains unsettled.
ABC7 Los Angeles reported that two polls released this week showed Becerra leading the race. A Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll of likely voters put Becerra at 25%, Republican Steve Hilton at 21% and Democrat Tom Steyer at 19%, leaving the second spot within a narrow range before voters decide who advances.
California uses a top-two primary system, meaning the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. That structure gives the contest a different shape from a traditional partisan primary. A fragmented field can allow candidates from the same party to split support, while a concentrated bloc can push a candidate into the runoff even without majority support.
The race is being watched nationally because it comes as California Democrats, Republicans and independents test messages on affordability, public safety, climate policy, immigration, housing and the state's relationship with the Trump administration. The polling does not decide the race, but it gives campaigns and voters a late snapshot of where the field stands.
Additional Reporting By: CGN News review of reporting from ABC7 Los Angeles, public polling summaries and California election context.