Democrat Xavier Becerra has been elected governor of California, NBC News projects, defeating Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton, who was considered an underdog.
\n\nBecerra, 68, was elected to a four-year term to succeed Democrat Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and could run for president in 2028.
\n\nCalifornia, the largest state in the country, hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. Donald Trump lost the state by 20 percentage points in the 2024 election.
\n\nBecerra was health and human services secretary in the Biden administration. Before that, he was California’s attorney general, a member of the House for 12 terms and a member of the state Legislature for two years. In Congress, Becerra held leadership roles, including chairing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus.
\n\nBecerra ran on a platform of battling the Trump administration and painted Hilton as a candidate who would rubber-stamp Trump’s policies.
\n\n“As Governor of California, I vow to protect and lead our state against Trump and his attacks. When Trump and his administration threaten access to healthcare, affordable housing, fair wages, or protections for immigrants and marginalized communities, the state has a responsibility to step in and fight,” Becerra’s campaign website said.
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health