Hilton and Becerra lead in new California governor poll. Steyer trails but isn’t out
Dan Walters
May 19, 2026
Two weeks from now we’ll probably know which of the 61 candidates for governor have finished 1-2 in the primary election and will face each other in November for the dubious honor of governing a state that may be ungovernable.
The weasel adverb “probably” is warranted because three would-be governors are in a close race, and California is notorious for taking a long time to produce a final election count.
The latest Democratic Party poll, released Tuesday, has Republican Steve Hilton, a British-born former Fox News commentator, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former attorney general, virtually tied at 22% and 21% respectively. Billionaire Tom Steyer is still alive at 15%, but all other once-viable candidates are trailing in single digits.
