California's June 2 primary produced a November rematch of opposites: former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, and Steve Hilton, a Republican commentator, finished first and second in the open governor's race and will meet again on the November 3 ballot, per certified results from the Secretary of State.
Becerra led with roughly 28 percent of the vote and Hilton took about 25 percent, per NBC News tallies, edging past Democrat Tom Steyer in a field of 61 candidates that once included Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Eric Swalwell. Because California counts mail ballots for weeks, the Secretary of State's canvass continued well past election night, and the final certified totals ran past 5.6 million ballots counted.
Why the incumbent was absent
Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and could not seek a third term, making 2026 the first open governor's race since 2018. The contest drew the largest field in recent state history, and the top-two system adopted by Proposition 14 in 2010 allows voters of any party to pick any candidate, sending the two highest finishers to the general election regardless of party.
On June 8, Newsom issued the proclamation formally declaring the November general election, per the Governor's Office, the procedural step that starts the general election calendar.
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What the results say about the electorate
Turnout in June primaries runs far below November, and the statewide vote of roughly 9 million in the governor's race represents a fraction of the state's registered voters. That makes primary margins a weak predictor: in 2018, the Democrat who finished first in June won November by more than 20 points, while other cycles have produced tighter falls.
The second-place finish by Hilton, running on an outsider platform, marks the first time since 2010 top-two began that a Republican advanced in a governor's race field this crowded.
County registrars finish the canvass under a fixed statutory calendar, and the Secretary of State certifies the results once every county reports. The certification is what makes the November matchup official rather than provisional.
What to watch
Ballot qualification deadlines for the November races, the first general-election polling, and down-ballot contests, since the same June 2 ballot also set fields for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and 14 propositions that will reach voters in November.