California governor race: Hilton leads overnight as late ballots loom
Steve Hilton briefly extended his lead in the California 2026 gubernatorial primary overnight, with about 58% of votes counted showing Hilton at 27.8%, Xavier Becerra at 25.4%, and Tom Steyer at 19.6%. Analysts caution that late-arriving mail ballots could tilt toward Democrats, potentially changing the outcome and setting up a Hilton-versus-Democratic-nominee race in November; Hilton has also drawn endorsements from JD Vance and Donald Trump, while Democrat Chad Bianco trailed in Riverside County at 11.3%.
