Former Fox host Steve Hilton and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra are tied for the top spot in California’s gubernatorial race, according to the latest California Democratic Party poll published Monday.
Becerra, a Democrat, and Hilton, a Republican, both saw gains from the previous survey, with each now at 18% as voting for the June 2 primary gets underway.
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“The message from California voters is clear,” Becerra spokesperson Jonathan Underland told the Washington Examiner. “They want a governor who can fight, and a governor who can win. Becerra delivers on both, and his surge proves it.”
The other Republican in the race, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, remained flat at 14%. Billionaire investor Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter saw slight declines from the April 20 poll, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan posted a modest bump to 7%. The share of undecided voters has dropped from 24% in March to 14%, a clear sign that voters are beginning to tune in.
“This California Democratic Party poll reaffirms what other recent public polls have shown, that Becerra and Hilton have emerged as the genuine front-runners,” veteran political strategist Garry South told the Washington Examiner. “With ballots being mailed today, there really isn’t time for any other candidate to make a move to the top two. For all his more than $150 million spent so far, Steyer is at exactly 12%. You have to wonder who would hire him after this as an investment advisor.”
California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks said the newest results “show movement in the race and progress towards ensuring a strong Democrat is elected the next governor of California.”
The EVITARUS poll is the fourth in a series commissioned by the California Democratic Party to gauge the crowded field, amid concerns that Democrats could be locked out of the November general election. In the previous three surveys, Hilton and Bianco led.
Becerra had been stuck in the low single digits as he sought to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in a race that at one point featured as many as 60 candidates. Becerra’s catapult to the top tier came after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s epic fall from grace last month following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell’s departure reshaped the field, injecting new momentum into Becerra’s campaign and boosting his fundraising. His team says it pulled in more than 20,000 donations over the past couple of weeks, with 97% from first-time contributors.
The race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) had become wide open, with a crowded field competing in the state’s nonpartisan primary. California’s “jungle primary” places all candidates on the same ballot, with the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advancing to the general election. Newsom has declined to endorse a candidate in the primary.
BECERRA GAINS MOMENTUM IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE
Although Republicans have historically struggled in statewide races in heavily Democratic California, a fractured Democratic field split the vote, allowing two GOP candidates to rise to the top of the polls. That, multiple strategists told the Washington Examiner, seems less and less likely now.
The top candidates will square off in two debates this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
