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Democrat Xavier Becerra wins election for governor in California

Nov 3, 2026 | 10:02 PM

Democrat Xavier Becerra won election Tuesday as governor of California, defeating Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra previously served as President Joe Biden’s health secretary, as the state attorney general and as a member of Congress. He will be California’s first Latino governor since 1875, succeeding term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Hilton is a British-born former Fox News host whose longshot campaign to lead the liberal-dominated state was endorsed by President Donald Trump. The Associated Press declared Becerra the winner at 11:00 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press