Breaking
California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton waves to supporters at his primary night event on June 2, 2026, in Huntington Beach, California. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
By Johnathan Jones June 3, 2026 at 6:27am
Republican Steve Hilton has emerged as the early frontrunner to advance in California’s gubernatorial primary.
With nearly 60 percent of the statewide vote counted Wednesday morning, Hilton was leading the field and appeared positioned to move on to the general election.
ELECTION NIGHT: HUNTINGTON BEACH pic.twitter.com/o48Nfy9GC1
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) June 3, 2026
According to KTLA’s election results, Hilton had received 1,386,966 votes, good for 27.76 percent of the vote.
Former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra was running second with 1,267,070 votes, or 25.36 percent.
Democrat Tom Steyer was in third place with 979,007 votes, representing 19.60 percent of ballots counted.
Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter trailed the other candidates with only 231,488 votes, or 4.63 percent.
Under California’s election system, the top two finishers in the primary will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
KTLA’s county-by-county results showed Hilton posting some of his strongest performances in Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, and Kern counties.
ELECTION NIGHT: HUNTINGTON BEACH
Come November, I will be your next governor ☀️ pic.twitter.com/hQWzl0tE9L
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) June 3, 2026
Democrats control virtually every major statewide office in California.
Republican candidate Chad Bianco had just over 11 percent of the vote early Wednesday, giving Republican candidates nearly 40 percent of all votes statewide.
As of Wednesday morning, Kalshi gave Hilton — the British-born former Fox News host — an 86 percent chance of advancing to the general election, but mail-in ballots could ultimately take some time to count.
BREAKING: Steve Hilton (R) has an 86% chance to advance in the California Governor election https://t.co/a5zvl5eUDT pic.twitter.com/iyKOHGA1vn
— Kalshi Politics (@KalshiPolitics) June 3, 2026
Hilton is attempting to become the first Republican governor of California since Arnold Schwarzenegger accomplished the feat in 2003.
Schwarzenegger held the top job in the state until 2011.
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Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
