Attorney General Xavier Becerra speaking at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)
California Voters Elect Xavier Becerra Governor
California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger
By Katy Grimes, November 4, 2026 6:50 am
California voters elected Democrat Xavier Becerra as the state’s next governor in the November 3, 2026, General Election. The Associated Press called the race for Becerra shortly after polls closed. He defeated Republican Steve Hilton.
Unofficial results from the California Secretary of State as of early morning November 4, with nearly all precincts partially reporting showed:
- Xavier Becerra (D): about 4.99 million votes (63.9%)
- Steve Hilton (R): about 2.81 million votes (36.1%).
Becerra, 68, previously served as California Attorney General, a longtime U.S. congressman from the Los Angeles area, a state legislator, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden.
He will succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom and take office on January 4, 2027.
Becerra is California’s first elected Latino governor. California has had a Latino governor – Romualdo Pacheco served as California’s 12th governor in 1875. Pacheco a Republican, was elected lieutenant governor in 1871. He became governor by succession when Governor Newton Booth resigned to take a U.S. Senate seat. I’m still wondering how in a state that takes 30 days to count the ballots, media can call the election.
Becerra campaigned heavily in opposition to President Donald Trump and the administration’s policies, and highlighted his experience suing the federal government as California Attorney General.
Hilton focused on cost of living, housing, and one-party Democratic rule.
California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With nearly half the votes counted, the Globe will update the election results as they come in.
Good evening, California. What a great night to be a Californian. What a great night to be an American—to be the son of immigrants, from a union household, to be standing in victory with all of you.Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. These past two years have been tough: higher prices, more wars, corruption, and lawlessness. But we hung in there, fought back. It felt like Mission: Impossible. We knew it was mission necessary.
And tonight, sisters and brothers, because of your tireless work, we can proudly utter the inspiring battle cry of our beloved and departed sister and warrior, Dolores Huerta: Sí, se puede. Yes, we can. Yes, we did. We fought and we won.
Thank you for making tonight’s victory possible. Thank you for making history in this election for governor. As Carolina said, there is no victory without you. And Carolina, there is no me without you. Together we have made a life, a family, and now history.
But what value has history without a future? Being governor is important, but my legacy was written the moment Clarisa, Olivia, and Natalia entered this world. Carolina and I have tried to do our part to place the future in fierce, resilient hands. So I say to my three daughters: no pressure, girls. No pressure.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have now entered the Becerra era. But really, the Becerra era began in the 1950s, when Manuel (raised in Tijuana) and María Teresa (who is here tonight, from Jalisco, Mexico) came to California with $12 in their pockets—a construction worker and a clerical worker. They earned every dollar, saved every penny, and built their California dream. I watched and I learned. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad, for building the Becerra era.
And here, let me make something very crystal clear: I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference—for anyone and everyone who calls California home, whether you voted for me or not. For the next construction worker and clerical worker who want to buy their own home. For the first-generation college student studying to follow Carolina’s footsteps and become a doctor. For the go-getter with a big idea but little capital to start a business. For the family with a medical emergency and a rent payment facing the prospect of homelessness.Remember, we are America’s frontier model—a conveyor belt of invention, industriousness, and ganas. Don’t look it up. I’ll tell you right now: G-A-N-A-S—guts, grit, and game all wrapped in one. That God does. Every day, everywhere, Californians transform the seemingly impossible into the virtually unstoppable. And we do all of that as the most diverse place in America.
So let me say to those in power who traffic in division and disinformation: there is no American greatness without California. And there is no California without our diverse communities. Diversity is not our shortcoming. It’s our superpower. And it isn’t our finish line. It’s our bottom line.
To all of those of you who have felt left out, locked out, priced out, drowned out, down and out, even asked to drop out—remember when I was in that race at the beginning of the primary? I say to each and every one of you: this is your moment. This victory is for you—the farm workers and firefighters, the teachers and tradesmen, small business owners and service workers, and my brothers and sisters from the laborers. LIUNA in the house!I also want to say thank you to my campaign team—the best in the business. We built this plane midair and ran into a bit of turbulence in the primary from time to time, but we flew straight and true. And man, did we land it.
Now the real work begins. In two months, I take the oath of office for the state’s highest office. And I want to be straight with you: California is exceptional, but it is also far from perfect. We have a lot of work to do together. Despite all our fortune, economic security is slipping out of reach for too many of our families. Despite our shared values, not everyone who builds and harvests the California success story gets to enjoy its fruit.
As governor, my mission is straightforward, but not simple: Deliver a California we can afford and defend a California we can’t afford to lose.
And here’s the good news: Californians don’t expect a miracle from government. They just want a government that works. A government that can build things. A government that keeps our streets clean and schools safe, basic services delivered on time and on budget. With leaders who are accountable and transparent, who can reach up without talking down. And after two years of chaos, corruption, and sky-high cost, we need that more than ever.
Never in our lifetimes has so much of what we love been on the line: our families, our safety, our freedom—freedom to love, freedom to learn, freedom to unionize and earn a living wage, the right to see a doctor, and the freedom to make your own decisions about your body. Freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water, travel unpolluted coastlines. Freedom to walk the streets without fear of gun violence or ICE mercenaries. And freedom tonight to hold a free election.Brothers and sisters, this is California—where no problem is too big to solve and no person is too small to matter. The California dream is universal. It’s non-negotiable. And yes, it is undeportable.
Tonight, I have a message for all those who have been made to feel afraid: There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s got a law degree and a union card. If anyone wants to come after California or any one Californian, they better be ready for a fight. We can’t be bought. We can’t be bullied. And we will never ever back down from a fight worth fighting. And our people, our values, and our resources are always worth fighting for.Brothers and sisters, this is California’s moment. Tonight, all across the country, in blue states, in red states, and all over the places in between, voters are choosing hope and repair over division and despair. After two exhausting years of red flags, America is following California’s blue beacon of light.
So, are we ready, California? It’s time for California to adopt a Muhammad Ali mentality. If our minds can conceive it and our hearts can believe it, then we can achieve it. And if I were a little younger, I’d do the shuffle right there at the same time.So I ask you, California: Are you ready to lead? Are you ready to achieve? Then brothers and sisters, here in California, we’re going to get to work.Thank you all very much. Thank you. God bless this great state and our great nation.
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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It’s doubtful that Californians really elected Becerra by such an overwhelming margin. I saw maybe one or two lawn signs for him in the area of Sacramento where I live which is heavily Democrat filled with state workers and a large Latino population. There was no enthusiasm for him and there certainly won’t be after he’s governor.
You’re exactly right and the lack of signs and non-enthusiasm is also what I saw down here in SoCal but what this bitch-ass numbskull DID do is invoke “Trump, Trump, Trump” and click his ruby slippers together three times every time he deigned to talk to someone. That was a lot of it, even though it came off as beyond ridiculous. And the commie public employee unions finished off the job —- the same way they got Gruesome elected governor way back when. I saw some of them at the “victory party” site. They wore regular tacky clothes but they can’t fool me! I recognized them wandering around like zombies even without the purple t-shirts.
So right. This Katy Grimes is as full of crap as a Christmas goose. I have been to the registrar of voters for the entire week. After watching first hand all I can say is SCAM. This election was rigged from the get go.
Well done low information voters. You brought us Gavin 2.0 or probably worse.
I’d call him Governor Bitch-Ass but I sure as heck don’t want to copy (his own ally) Susan Rice.
Not yet, anyway, when the results are so fresh and new.
Oh, good. We have another Nazi for governor.
California has more burglaries than any other state. If your house get broken into and your belongings stolen, and you voted for Democrats, I have no sympathy for you.
California has the highest robbery rate of any state in the nation. If you get robbed at gunpoint and you voted for Democrats, I have no sympathy for you.
California has the highest motor vehicle theft rate of any state in the nation. If you go out to your car and it is gone and you voted for Democrats, I have no sympathy for you.
California has the 47th worst roads and the highest gas taxes. If your car hits a pothole and blows out the tire and bends the wheel, and you voted for Democrats, I have no sympathy for you.
California is a sanctuary state. If an illegal immigrant commits a crime against you and you voted for Democrats, i have no sympathy for you.
California must be a state that the stupid and insane flock to. Enjoy your high taxes, high crime rates, high rents, high gas prices. You deserve it.
Most significant is Trump managed to sink Texas also.
Do you not realize America has transitioned into the abyss.
There’s no turning back now
Newsom’s troll Eyeinthesky is back with another inane comment. Trump wasn’t on the ballot in Texas.
The only way that a WEF globalist loser like Newsom ever gets elected again is through massive voter fraud.
That fact is that there are many traitorous RINOs who are probably paid off to lose elections and who allow elections to be stolen. One such traitorous RINO is Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune who didn’t get the SAVE America Act passed and didn’t get rid of the filibuster in the Senate.
Fools like you TJ are the first in line to enter the slaughter house.
It’s the end result: The legacy Americans have been defeated.
Once California and Texas rolled over, the point of no return in your rear view mirror.
The problem is your cognitive skills aren’t well enough developed to recognize what has happened to you nor are capable and aware of the causes and soon to result effect.
Newsom’s troll Eyeinthesky is delusional again probably from guzzling too much adrenochrome while conducting one of their satanic spirit cooking rituals last night to celebrate the Democrat’s stolen selection results.
The first ones to be eliminated will likely be the useful idiots like Newsom’s troll Eyeinthesky who help their satanic Democrat masters steal elections. Eyeinthesky’s time trolling here will come to an end.
Are you freaking kidding, troll? You have no idea what you are talking about, and in this case you especially look like a prize horse’s ass spewing your nonsense at TJ, who runs rings around your ridiculous song and dance every day of the week.
Pieinthesky is a troll. Don’t feed the trolls. He has no facts to back anything up.
just to remind. fear is running in the background. i do not see anyone filling in for charlie kirk. how many more assassination attempts on the president will be tolerated without consequences. the lawfare in this country has become a burden on justice. a woman has admitted to killing her three children with a majority of jurors to acquit. the hold out juror name was released and the man is now a bullseye for the nation. self preservation is on the mind of the population. the nation just elected to power the party behind these acts. clean water, clean air, power, money is of no use if your dead and there are worse things than dying. the days of level playing field are no more when the justice system is engaged in politics that do not support the constitution. we may be able to fix this if a solar storm hit just right.
Told you all a long time ago Donald Trump would do more damage to America than Gavin Newsom and I was right
You’ve been played by the pedophile
Well, expect things to get even worse here thanks to all those who are either Democrat and or Latino and Latinos will vote Latino almost no matter what. And the Leftists love corruption and scams so much, they want even more. I also have to blame Republican leaders who didn’t go after Ballot dumps either and were very soft on scams and crime. It’s like almost all weren’t serious about anything. Also, Spencer Pratt should have won but thanks to ballot dumps, Nithya Raman came out ahead and other Republican leaders really didn’t care what happened to him. I also wonder if more refineries will be shut down and we’ll really be a NET ZERO state for the UN and other evil Globalists. Nothing would please them more if the almost the entire Western USA coast was left wide open to invasion with nothing to protect it. I’m sorry I’m all over the place, but I think CA and the most of the rest of the USA is going to be a big mess. Already the ILLEGAL ALIEN CARAVANS are coming. Also, I voted for Trump three times, but his priorities did seem to be anything and all for Israel and Ukraine and anytime they came to him, he seemed to be asking how high he can jump for them and he didn’t need to start a war with Iran. Oh and anybody with DOGS who voted for MUSLIMS or Leftists will be in for a huge surprise. MUSLIMS Hate DOGS and consider them unclean. They’ll burn them alive, beat them to death, shoot them or poison them. I also don’t feel like wearing a hijab or burqa and no women’s rights at all, but we’re definitely headed that way. Anyway, sorry I’m all over the map and pretty scattered in my thoughts, but I think we’re in big trouble and we’re headed the same way as Ceuta Spain and FRANCE. I think a lot of people are in for a rude awakening if they think voting for Becerra, Talarico, El-Sayed etc is going to make things better. And for all those violent students and Leftists that think attacking Charlie Kirk, TPUSA etc and want MAOIST-BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTIONS 2.0 are going to gain anything from all this, they’ll be very sorry in the long run. Anyway, I’m sorry I’m all over the place.but there’s a lot going on. I also heard that we should all be prepared to prepare for 90 days of NO electricity or FOOD and maybe we should prepare.
Spot on!
All that was required was the collapse of the legacy Americans in California and Texas: That has been accomplished now the blood thirsty sharks in pursuit of your holdings are coming after us.
Yup, I have no confidence at all at this point. I also notice what’s going on in France etc and I can’t believe how evil Muslims are. When they came into Ceuta Spain, I also couldn’t believe how ecstatically joyful and gleeful they were over KILLING a little baby bottle nose dolphin. They were just so overjoyed by it. Yes, it was just a dolphin, but really? I also remember the Bataclan Theatre and Muslims were running over Christmas shoppers in outdoor markets in Europe. And then there’s all the young UK girls raped by Muslims. There’s going to a be lot more crime going on in the USA now, especially with all these Leftist politicians coming in joined with the already existing LEFTIST JUDGES. We’re in for a very rough ride. Also what didn’t help, were the REPUBLICANS with their either dog-pony circus brief trials such as FAUCI and also the FOREVER INVESTIGATIONS like ILHAN OMAR who should have been deported already and they also did absolutely NOTHING about George SOROS and his son, Alexander.. and then, we have the COLLEGE STUDENTS from HELL and the Female Harpies who adore LINDSEY CLANCY and then there’s the DOLLAR DEVALUATION ongoing and so, I don’t think things are going to go well for us. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer.