OAN Staff Sophia Flores
5:28 PM – Friday, June 5, 2026
Former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has officially advanced to the November general election in the race for governor, becoming the first of two candidates to secure a spot on the ballot.
As of Friday evening, Becerra (D-Calif.) had received 1,688,404 votes, accounting for 26.7% of ballots counted. With 67% of the total votes tallied, his lead over the third-place candidate was too large to overcome, securing a top-two finish and a spot in the general election.
Unlike traditional partisan primaries, California operates under a nonpartisan blanket primary system, commonly referred to as a “jungle primary.” Established by voters under Proposition 14, this system places all candidates running for state and federal offices—including the gubernatorial race—onto a single, unified ballot.
In the battle to secure the final spot on the November ballot, Republican businessman Steve Hilton (R-Calif.) holds a distinct lead over billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer (D-Calif.). According to the Associated Press, Hilton has captured 1,666,522 votes (26.4%), while Steyer trails with 1,328,712 votes (21.0%).
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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