Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race, first Latino to lead the state since 1875

SACRAMENTO, California, Nov 4 – Democrat Xavier Becerra has won the race for governor of California, beating Republican Steve Hilton. He will be the first Latino person to lead the state since 1875.

The Associated Press projected Becerra the winner on Tuesday. He had been the clear favorite going into Election Day.

Becerra, 68, is the son of Mexican immigrants. He served as health and human services secretary under former President Joe Biden, and before that as California’s attorney general and as a member of Congress.

His win is a milestone in a state where more than 40 percent of people are Latino and nearly one in two children has at least one immigrant parent.

The last Latino governor of California was Romualdo Pacheco, who was appointed for a short time in 1875.

Becerra has vowed to stand up to President Donald Trump during the last two years of his term. He spoke to supporters at a victory party in Sacramento, the state capital.

“Deliver a California we can afford,” Becerra said, describing his mission. He said he would also defend the California that people could not afford to lose.

He will take over from Governor Gavin Newsom, who can’t run again because of term limits. Newsom is openly thinking about a run for president.

Becerra will lead the country’s largest state and the fourth-largest economy in the world. California is a Democratic stronghold that has stood up to Trump since he was first elected in 2016.

Most people in the state are deeply unhappy with the Trump administration. Immigration raids have hit many communities, and the administration has threatened the state’s environmental rules and its university system.

Becerra ran on the idea of bringing back the “California Dream.” He focused on costs, including making health care open to everyone.

He also reminded voters again and again that, as attorney general during Trump’s first term, he sued the administration 122 times.

Hilton, who was born in Britain, is a former host on Fox News. Trump endorsed him.

He blamed the state’s problems on Democratic rule in Sacramento. He said it had led to too many rules, high taxes and a state that people can’t afford to live in. He promised tax cuts, cheaper fuel and a smaller government.

The new governor will face a long list of problems. They include the high cost of living, a shortage of housing, homelessness, rising insurance costs, the risk of wildfires and a growing gap between rich and poor.

How to regulate artificial intelligence will also be a big issue. The industry is a major part of the state’s economy, and tech companies and investors in Silicon Valley have pushed back against state efforts on safety, worker protections and the building of data centers.

Becerra’s road to victory was far from smooth. For much of the race, he was stuck in the low single digits in the polls. He struggled to stand out in a crowded field.

Under California’s open primary system, the top two finishers advance to the general election, regardless of party.

At one point, his chances looked so poor that party officials urged him and others to drop out. They feared that too many Democrats in the race would split the vote and leave two Republicans on the November ballot.

Then the campaign of former Representative Eric Swalwell collapsed amid allegations of sexual assault. After that, Becerra’s fortunes began to turn.

He moved past Tom Steyer, a billionaire progressive, and finished first in the June primary. Hilton finished second, setting up the race between the two of them.

By the final weeks, the contest had settled into a quiet race. Becerra kept a comfortable lead in the polls, and Newsom backed him after the primary.

The cost of living was a top concern for voters in California, as it was across the country. Gas prices in the state, already among the highest in the nation, went up again after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in February.

Becerra will be sworn in as governor in January.