Blue Wall Cracks: Trump Ally Surges

A Trump-backed conservative just broke through California’s deep-blue wall, and Democrats are already scrambling to stop him.

Story Snapshot

Republican Steve Hilton clinches a top-two spot and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra for California governor in November.^[1]^[2]^[3]
Hilton’s run is backed by President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, giving conservatives a real shot in a state long run by the left.^[1]^[8]
Early results showed Hilton leading the massive primary field, proving there is a serious appetite for change in California.^[2]^[11]
The November race will pit Hilton’s low-tax, tough-on-crime, pro–Second Amendment agenda against Becerra’s Biden-style big-government record.^[6]^[7]^[9]

Trump-Backed Hilton Breaks Into California’s Governor Runoff

Republican Steve Hilton has secured one of the two coveted spots on the November ballot for California governor, setting up a showdown with Democrat Xavier Becerra to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom.^[1]^[2]^[3] Hilton, a British-born American conservative commentator and former Fox News host, advanced out of a crowded field under the state’s top-two primary system, where all candidates compete on one ballot and only the two highest vote-getters move on.^[2]^[6]^[7] This alone is a major breakthrough in a state that has been dominated by Democrat rule for years.

News outlets report that Hilton and Becerra finished as the top two in the June 2 primary, which the Associated Press and major networks called a week later after slow ballot counting wrapped up enough to project the outcome.^[2]^[3]^[12] Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and cabinet secretary in the Biden administration, finished first but with only a plurality, not a majority, showing the Democrat vote was split among many liberal contenders.^[2]^[4]^[8] Hilton’s performance, especially in such a crowded, Democrat-heavy field, confirms that a large bloc of Californians is ready for a different direction on crime, taxes, and basic quality of life.

How Hilton Built Momentum In A Deep-Blue State

Early returns showed Hilton jumping out to an initial lead as the first wave of Election Day votes were reported, with some tallies putting him near 29% while mail ballots were still being counted.^[11]^[2] Later updates tightened the race, but he held onto a top-two spot even as millions of late-arriving ballots were processed in the days that followed.^[2]^[12] That pattern matches California’s typical vote count, where same-day ballots and some early in-person votes, which tend to lean more conservative, are reported first, and later mail-in ballots often pull Democrats closer or into the lead.^[2]^[10]^[12] Hilton’s ability to stay in contention through that long, drawn-out count shows his support was not a fluke “early blip” but a real base spread across the state.

President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton in April, urging Californians to rally behind him and avoid a split Republican vote that could have let two Democrats advance.^[8]^[3]^[9] Vice President J.D. Vance also publicly backed Hilton and called him a “good guy,” further helping him consolidate conservatives who are tired of one-party rule in Sacramento.^[8] That unified support mattered in a race with at least 61 candidates on the ballot, including big-name Democrats like Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Matt Mahan, along with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on the Republican side.^[1]^[2]^[3] Instead of fracturing, right-leaning voters coalesced around Hilton, denying Steyer a spot in the runoff and ensuring that November will offer a clear choice between competing visions for California’s future.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Hilton’s Agenda Versus Becerra’s Record Of Big Government

Hilton is running as a blunt outsider focused on affordability, public safety, and restoring basic order after years of failed progressive experiments.^[9]^[12] In a recent interview, he said his plan centers on making the state “Califordable,” starting with ending state income tax on earnings under $100,000 and pushing gas prices down to about three dollars a gallon by suspending the gas tax and reopening California oil and gas production.^[9] That agenda runs directly against the green mandates and tax hikes that have driven up energy costs and living expenses under Democrat leadership. For many families who feel squeezed at the pump and in the grocery store, Hilton’s economic message hits home.

Steve Hilton projected to advance in California governor race, joining Xavier Becerra https://t.co/WK1JtFQilS

— Redlands Daily Facts (@RedlandsNews) June 10, 2026

On crime and homelessness, Hilton has called for clearing encampments and tying shelter to treatment for addiction and mental health, signaling a shift away from permissive policies that have allowed tent cities to spread across major cities.^[9] He also supports expanding concealed carry permits, pushing back on Sacramento’s recent wave of new gun restrictions, including limits on monthly firearm purchases and bans on many popular semi-automatic pistols.^[9] That stance offers a clear defense of Second Amendment rights in a state where Democrat leaders have treated lawful gun owners as the problem while violent criminals often walk free. For conservatives worried about self-defense and civil liberties, this contrast with Becerra’s history as an aggressive gun-control supporter is stark.^[6]^[7]

What This Race Means For California And The Country

Becerra’s backers and outlets like Politico argue that California’s heavy Democrat registration makes him the favorite in November, claiming there is a “high likelihood” he will defeat Hilton.^[4]^[5] But those same reports also admit that Becerra did not come close to a majority in the primary, underscoring voter frustration with the status quo and the absence of a dominant liberal figure like Newsom.^[4]^[8] In a year when Californians are struggling under high costs, rising crime, and visible disorder, the race could become a real referendum on whether the state keeps following Washington-style big-government policies or tries a different path.^[2]^[4]^[9] For conservatives nationwide, Hilton’s advance shows that even in the bluest states, a clear message on freedom, affordability, and law and order can still break through the media narratives and political machines that have long seemed untouchable.