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As vote counting continues in California’s closely watched governor’s race, three candidates have pulled ahead of the crowded field.

Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News contributor, leads with 27.6%, while Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services Secretary, is just behind at 27.5%, according to the most recent results released by the California Secretary of State the evening of Wednesday, June 3.

Democrat Tom Steyer — a billionaire climate activist — sits in third place with 19.6% of the vote, with 19.6% of the vote ahead of Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 11.3%,. The rest of the field trails far behind at 4.6% or less.

While Steyer still has a path forward to reach a spot in the top two, it is “a very narrow one,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported. To move into one of the top two spots, Steyer would need two things to happen, according to the newspaper’s analysis: The remaining uncounted votes would need to skew heavily Democratic, and a large share of those ballots would have to go to Steyer.

Here’s a look at the three candidates leading the race for California governor.

Who is Steve Hilton?

Hilton is a former Fox News host and U.K. political strategist who is running for California governor on a platform focused on reducing taxes for workers and ending "the bureaucratic war on business."

Hilton is running for California governor to "end the one-party rule" in the state, aiming to reverse state policies on energy, crime, and education, according to his campaign website. Hilton calls for restoring the California dream of a single-family home for every family.

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Hilton quick facts:

• Age: 56
• Party: Republican
• Current role: Business owner / conservative political commentator
• Home region: Atherton, San Mateo County
• First entered politics: 1990 in the UK
• Education: Oxford University
• Professional background: Hilton is a conservative political commentator, author, and former government strategist. He also has roots in the tech sector, having co-founded Crowdpac, a political crowdfunding platform in 2013.
• Political experience:
  • Hilton worked for the U.K. Conservative Party during Margaret Thatcher's tenure.
  • In 2005, Hilton began working for former Prime Minister David Cameron as his head of strategy.
• Notable accomplishments:
  • In 2017, The New York Times said Hilton was "credited as designing the modernized British Conservative image that helped get Mr. Cameron’s party elected in 2010."

Critics of Hilton argue he is too closely aligned with President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him in his bid for governor. Additionally, if he were elected governor, critics say his policies would bring a "wrecked economy."

Supporters of Hilton believe he can end the state's one-party Democratic rule and address the high cost of living through his "Califordable" platform.

Who is Xavier Becerra?

Becerra is an attorney who most recently served as the 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and is running for California governor on a platform focused on building the state’s economy, defending its communities, and protecting rights and freedoms.

On his campaign website, Becerra says he is running for governor to “fight to make it possible for all of us to have the California Dream.” He argues that the cost of everyday life in California has gotten too expensive. Becerra said in a Facebook video that his main mission as governor of California will be to lower the cost of everything from health care to housing to childcare to utilities.

“California is at a crossroads. From housing to healthcare, childcare to college, working families are facing an affordability crisis," Becerra said when he announced his plans to run for governor, the Contra Costa News reported in April 2025. "The California Dream is slipping away. I’m running for Governor to fight for that dream, to build a stronger, affordable California for everyone, and to take on bullies who get in our way."

Becerra quick facts:

• Age: 68
• Party: Democrat
• Current role: Voting rights attorney
• Home region: Sacramento
• First entered politics: 1986, when he began working as a staffer for California State Senator Art Torres
• Education: Becerra is a graduate of Stanford University, where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees.
• Professional experience: Becerra began his legal career in 1984 as a legal advocate for people suffering from mental illnesses
• Political experience:
  • 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025)
  • Attorney General of California (2017–2021)
  • Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 terms (1993–2017)
• Notable accomplishments:
  • As the 25th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra spearheaded efforts to lower prescription drug costs, including Medicare insulin caps.
  • During Becerra's tenure as attorney general, he was known for leading legal challenges against President Donald Trump's administration, suing the administration 122 times, according to his campaign website. Of note, supporters say, was Becerra's efforts to defend the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare."

Critics of Becerra have said he was too low‑profile during major crises, such as the COVID‑19 pandemic and the monkeypox outbreak, while he was U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In addition, critics point to an incident in 2017, when Becerra, as the state's attorney general, filed charges stemming from an undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood, prompting the Los Angeles Times editorial board to call the ordeal a “disturbing overreach.”

Becerra's supporters argue his decades-long record of public service makes him the most qualified candidate to lead the state. Supporters also see him as a governor who could stand up to the President, given his track record of challenging the Trump administration as attorney general.

Who is Tom Steyer?

Steyer is a billionaire investor and climate advocate, running on a platform focused on reducing the cost of living for Californians by taking on corporate interests, building affordable housing, and implementing green energy policies.

Steyer has said he is running for governor in 2026, "because Californians can no longer afford to live here." He seeks to address the issue by tackling housing affordability, reducing energy costs, and pushing for corporate accountability.

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Steyer quick facts:

• Age: 68
• Party: Democrat
• Current role: Climate advocate
• Home region: San Francisco
• First entered politics: 2013 with the founding of NextGen Climate (now NextGen America), a major political advocacy organization
• Education: Steyer studied economics and political science at Yale University, then went on to earn an MBA from Stanford University.
• Professional background: In 1986, Steyer founded Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund, which grew to manage more than $40 billion in assets. He retired in 2012 and turned his attention to public service, with a focus on climate issues.
• Notable accomplishments: In 2010, Steyer helped defeat California's Proposition 23, which would have ended the state's greenhouse gas reduction law, AB 32, helping keep the state at the forefront of the nation's climate policy.

Critics of Steyer have voiced concerns about a billionaire resonating with struggling Californians. He has been called a "populist billionaire" who may struggle to relate to everyday Californians.

Steyer's supporters argue that he would be "a billionaire that would take on billionaires." Supporters also say his wealth would free him from transactional politics.

Where the candidates vary on key issues

Cost of living

Hilton sees the high cost of living in California as rooted in government overreach, calling for a reduction in regulations and taxes to foster economic growth. Hilton believes the state's cost of living has become "completely unaffordable."

To fix the high cost of living, Hilton says he would focus on reducing taxes for residents and would push to implement the following:

• No tax on income for residents earning less than $100K
• 7.5% flat tax on earnings over $100k
• No increase in property taxes

Hilton says he has a "comprehensive plan" to address rising gasoline costs in the state and "bring California gas prices down to $3 per gallon," which includes eliminating the state's environmental programs.

Meanwhile, Becerra believes Californians are being squeezed by rising costs, including those associated with insurance, childcare, and groceries, according to his campaign website. The "affordability crisis," he says, stems from the state's "systems that have stopped working for everyday Californians."

To address the issue, Becerra advocates for stronger state intervention to lower costs, including standing up to price gouging, expanding affordable housing, and investing in clean energy to reduce utility bills. 

Becerra supports maintaining California’s progressive tax structure. "

Steyer believes that "California is too expensive," pointing to both housing and utility costs. Steyer sees the economy as imbalanced, with a "two-tiered tax system," in which "working people pay their fair share, (and) the wealthiest people and corporations exploit tax loopholes to skip out on paying billions of dollars every year."

To address these problems, Steyer has called for the building of affordable housing, the lowering of utility costs by "breaking up the monopolistic power of utilities" and "bringing competition to the grid," and closing "corporate tax loopholes."

Housing

Hilton refers to the state's housing issue as the "Democrat Housing Crisis," arguing that the lack of homes stems from government overregulation. To address the issue, Hilton said the state must provide homes for Californians by addressing hidden housing taxes, anti-housing regulations, and anti-housing lawsuits.

"We have to end the war on single-family homes so that we can build the housing we need for young families," Hilton said at an April 22 gubernatorial debate. "We need more starter homes in California."

Becerra believes the housing crisis is rooted in the lack of homes being built in the state. To address the issue of high housing costs in California, Becerra has said the state needs more homes and should offer builders incentives to build. Becerra has also pointed to down payment assistance programs.

"We want to make sure that we help those who want to buy a house get in a house," Becerra said at an April 22 gubernatorial debate. "Most Californians who are renting are essentially paying a monthly mortgage, except it's called rent. I would convert them into homeowners by helping them with their down payment."

Steyer believes "the biggest problem in California is that Californians can't afford to live here, and the No. 1 problem there is housing," he said at an April 22 gubernatorial debate.

On his campaign website, Steyer said he has a plan to "build one million homes over four years, and make building houses cheaper, faster, and better."

"Yes. We have to shorten permitting and make it less expensive ... Two, we have to redo zoning so that we build denser and around public transportation," Steyer said at a recent debate. "Three, we need to actually drop the cost per square foot of building."

Homelessness

Hilton has criticized current policies surrounding homelessness, calling for increased law enforcement and mental health treatment to address the issue.

"We have to provide people the mental health treatment that they need," Hilton said in a February debate.

Among the approaches to tackling the homelessness issue, Hilton pointed to include stopping "the fraud in the homeless system" and enforcing the law, adding that "it is illegal to camp on the streets."

To 

"You're working; you're working, but you're living on the edge. You're a paycheck away from becoming homeless," Becerra said. "That's where I want to step in. I want to make sure the state says, 'Hey, you're working hard. There is no reason why you should become homeless.'"

Steyer has called for the reform of the state's "homelessness strategy to get people off the street and into the care they need."

In an interview with ABC 7 News, Steyer said people facing homelessness do not start with mental health issues, adding that his goal is to keep people off the street in the first place.

"I am absolutely behind getting people off the street into something that is good for them," Steyer told the TV station. When asked what he would do if people refused help, Steyer told ABC 7 News, "We're going to have to be able to provide something that they do want to do, and in effect, we're gonna have to retake our streets."