The California governor race was supposed to shed some light on the results on Election Day. Instead, it has bamboozled voters in California.

It is assumed that from Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra, and Tom Steyer, we will have our next governor of Cali.

As you read this, election officials have counted 50% of the votes, and no one has a big lead. Hilton has the highest. Becerra is right behind him. Steyer is far behind. Who knows, he might be writing a concession speech right now.

For months, California has been stuck in the election race, and now it is still not predictable.

Key Points

• Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra are leading the race in early returns.
• Tom Steyer is far off from the top two.
• Millions of ballots are not counted yet.
• California may not have final results for weeks.
• Several House races and the Los Angeles mayoral contest are also unresolved.

The Race Will Take More Time to End

Just like previous governor elections in California, the list of candidates was big.

In the list, there are seasoned politicians, political newcomers, millionaires, local residents, and, you may laugh at this, even a candidate who legally changed his name to Barack Obama years ago.

When the voting started, many Democrats were worried about the split of their vote.

California uses a top-two primary system for elections. All candidates are listed on one primary election ballot, irrespective of their political affiliation. The two candidates who get the most votes move to the general election.

This created a situation in which Democrats and Republicans were trying not to beat each other.

According to The Guardian, there were speculations that Republicans may sweep the top two spots, as Democratic support was very low in multiple campaigns.

After seeing the results, one can say that those speculations were irrelevant.

Xavier Becerra’s Comeback Was a Surprise

A few months ago, Becerra was not the favorite of the voters.

The former Health and Human Services secretary had never run a high-level campaign in his life before. He wasn’t the wealthiest candidate. He wasn’t the loudest. He wasn’t dominating headlines.

Then something remarkable happened. While other campaigns spent months trying to create momentum, Becerra quietly started collecting it.

As the field shifted and voters began making final decisions, his numbers improved enough to move him into serious contention.

Speaking to supporters after polls closed, Becerra reflected on how often people had written him off.

“Almost immediately, he’s counted out, an afterthought, overlooked by many, outspent by a ton, even called along the way to drop out and save us the trouble,” Becerra said.

 “Well, guess what? The underdog stayed in the fight. Like my parents, I never gave up.”

Also Read – How the Iran Alliance With Russia Is Reshaping the 2026 War Strategy

Hilton Thinks California Is Ready for Him

Most of you will agree that Hilton’s campaign was based on frustration.

The ex-Fox News host spent months debating that Californians are fed up with one-party rule, now they want a new leader who raises his voice on the issues such as affordability, crime, and public safety.

That message appears to have found an audience.

Early results placed him at the top of the field, although the lead remained small enough that nobody around his campaign was treating it as a finished race.

“We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good,” Hilton told supporters. “It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction, a fresh start for our state, which is long overdue.”

The challenge now is holding that position as more ballots arrive.

Tom Steyer is Hoping on the Long Count

Most candidates sitting six or seven points behind the leaders would probably be facing questions about what went wrong. Steyer isn’t.

The billionaire environmental activist entered Election Day knowing California’s vote-counting process tends to reward patience. Campaigns routinely spend days analyzing late-arriving ballots because those votes can sometimes shift margins in meaningful ways.

That’s one reason many California governor race polls struggled to tell a consistent story during the final weeks.

Steyer sounded completely comfortable playing the waiting game.

“It might take some time to figure out where this is going. We’re going to wait until every ballot is counted. We’re going to give democracy time to work.”

His supporters are hoping those remaining ballots contain one last surprise.

Also Read – If Kim Jong Un Enters the Iran–Israel War, What Could Happen Next?

So, Who Won the Governor Race in California?

At the moment, counting is still on, so nobody can answer this question.

The early numbers suggest Hilton and Becerra are in the strongest positions, but California elections rarely end when television coverage does.

According to ABC10, counties have until July 2 to finalize official results before statewide certification follows later.

That timeline means voters following the California governor election battle may be checking updates for days rather than hours.

NBC News reported that only about half the expected vote had been counted when candidates addressed supporters on election night.

USA Today also noted that late-counted ballots could still reshape the race, particularly if Democratic voters returned ballots closer to Election Day.

For now, California’s biggest political contest remains exactly where it has been for months: competitive, unpredictable, and just unsettled enough to keep everyone watching.

Sources and References:

• NBC News – Only half of the votes are counted.

• USA Today – Late-counted ballots can change the results at the end.

• ABC10 – Counties have until July 2 to announce the final results.

• The Guardian – There were speculations that Republicans could sweep all the seats.