Xavier Becerra wins in California and will be the first Hispanic governor since 1875

The Democrat Xavier Becerra made history on Tuesday night by winning the race for California governor. Becerra, 68, will become the first Latino to hold the office in more than 150 years, according to early projections. The result was unexpected and came just minutes after polling places closed. “We did it, California. Thank you. I’m honored to be your next Governor, and I’ll fight for every family in this state, every single day. Let’s get to work,” the Democrat wrote on his social media after the first results were released.The son of Mexican immigrants and with a 35-year political career that includes serving as head of the Department of Health and Human Services during Democratic president Joe Biden’s administration, Becerra is the first politician of Hispanic descent to take the reins of the nation’s most populous state, with nearly 40 million residents. The last person to hold that office was Romualdo Pacheco, who served for just ten months, from February to December 1875.Becerra defeated Republican Steve Hilton, who was born and began his political career in the United Kingdom and was associated with the Conservative Party during Margaret Thatcher’s era. Hilton was a political commentator on Fox News. He had sought to follow in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger, another European immigrant who rose to fame as an action movie star before entering politics. Since 2011, when the actor and bodybuilder finished two consecutive terms as California’s governor, no other Republican has reclaimed that office.Governor Gavin Newsom, who will leave office after serving two consecutive terms and is among potential Democratic contenders for the presidency, congratulated Becerra shortly after projections showing his victory were released.Xavier Becerra will be a governor who will carry the torch for California — someone who, with Dr. Reyes, will represent our state and its diverse communities. A son immigrants, a product of the California dream who will stand up to Donald Trump and represent our values.…— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 4, 2026 Trump was always between Becerra and Hilton. Not only did he broadly back the Republican candidate, but a network of donors from across the country aligned with the president poured resources into Hilton’s campaign. Thanks to a $33.6 million fund from 158,000 contributions, according to election records, Hilton’s ads flooded social media.The 20,000 ‘suspicious’ votesThese elections took place while the California government and the Department of Justice were locked in an intense legal battle over the federal administration’s challenge to the U.S. citizenship of more than 20,000 voters. State officials interpreted the move as an attempt by Trump to tilt the electoral balance in favor of Republicans.The lawsuit appears to rest on a conspiratorial theory the president and his allies have repeated ad nauseam: that, because of lax checks, thousands of undocumented people, people living outside the state, and even deceased people vote in California to favor Democrats. The Department of Justice has not scored decisive victories in its legal fight; instead judges have raised doubts about the strength of its arguments. The Supreme Court and other courts in California and Washington, D.C., denied federal prosecutors’ requests to segregate those ballots.Becerra held a wide lead over Hilton after both emerged from highly contested primaries to become the finalists for Tuesday’s election. In the most recent polls, the Democrat had between 60% and 61% of the vote intention, while the Republican polled between 33% and 38%.That gap in the polls reflects the challenge Hilton faced in a state with a Democratic tradition, where his alignment with the president’s policies—especially on immigration—has been one of the main distinctions between the two contenders. Becerra, in fact, billed himself in ads as “Trump’s worst nightmare” and seized every opportunity to link his rival to the White House incumbent’s missteps.Since 2011, California has been run by Democrats and has become a laboratory for progressive policies that in recent years have clashed with Trump’s conservative agenda.Separate agendas: Hilton and BecerraCalifornians’ difficult economic situation was one of the central issues in this election. Hilton blamed Sacramento politicians for the financial mess, while Becerra pointed to the White House. California, in particular, is among the areas most affected by rising costs for various goods, linked to tariffs imposed by the federal government and to higher fuel prices associated with the conflict with Iran.Three figures illustrate the economic pressure residents face: the median home price is around $750,000; this week, a gallon of gasoline sold for just over $6, about 44% above the national average; and a family of four needs annual income above $300,000 to live comfortably.During the campaign, Hilton promised to cut gas prices to $3 a gallon—about half the current cost; reduce homelessness and crime; eliminate the state income tax for those earning less than $150,000 a year; build 10 new cities to expand housing supply; cap vehicle registration fees at $75; and create jobs to stop thousands of Californians from leaving for other states.“You have to work hard to expel so many people from this beautiful and incredible state,” the Republican said sarcastically during a podcast, blaming Democratic rulers for the economic downturn. “Politicians should step aside a bit and let you live your life,” he added.Becerra, for his part, promised during his campaign to focus on fighting Trump’s policies and to reduce the housing deficit by speeding up building permits. He also proposed boosting the film industry, taking a cautious stance on building data centers for artificial intelligence companies, and strengthening the economy to prevent more Californians from leaving the state. “We need a fighting governor—against Washington, against Trump and against the powerful interests that want to leave us behind,” he proclaimed in Spanish, his native language, in one of his videos.The clash over immigrationThe confrontation between Hilton and Becerra was direct on many issues, but above all on immigration. The Republican has backed raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has said his priority is to protect “legal” migrant communities and deport foreign nationals who commit crimes, echoing Trump’s rhetoric.California became a key stage for the Trump administration’s immigration offensive. With a population of about two million people who have not regularized their immigration status—the largest in the country—the state was the first to feel the impact of the mass raids carried out by masked agents since 2025. Hilton promoted that kind of operation during his campaign and in debates.Becerra not only disagrees with that stance but also supports immigration reform, a possibility that seems distant in the current turbulent political landscape. “California welcomed you and you welcome ICE mercenaries into our state. How do you reconcile that? You are a migrant,” the Democrat shot back at Hilton in one debate.Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition