Governor of California · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the California governor's race?
Xavier Becerra has the strongest record in the California governor's race. Xavier Becerra scores 54 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Steve Hilton at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Xavier Becerra's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Steve Hilton's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
Xavier Becerra
54 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- 50
Republican
Steve Hilton
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Xavier Becerra
- Mark against2024-02-08
An HHS inspector general report on 2021 placements of unaccompanied children, while he headed HHS, found 16 percent of sampled files lacked documentation of required sponsor safety checks.
- Mark against2023-04-18
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found he violated the Hatch Act as HHS secretary by expressing support for Sen. Alex Padilla's reelection while speaking in his official capacity at a September 2022 gala.
Sources: U.S. Office of Special Counsel, April 18, 2023, Sacramento Bee via Yahoo News, April 19, 2023
- On the record2026-05-14
His longtime chief of staff Sean McCluskie and lobbyist Dana Williamson pleaded guilty in a scheme that diverted $225,000 from his dormant campaign account; prosecutors treat Becerra as a victim and he was not charged.
Sources: KQED (CalMatters), May 14, 2026, Courthouse News, Sacramento Bee via Imperial Valley Press, June 2, 2026
- On the record2026-10-05
Did not take part in an October 2026 Los Angeles Times and LAist candidate forum; LAist reported his team said it could not make the schedule work and did not answer a follow-up offer.
- On the record2021-05-19
PolitiFact rated False his May 2021 House subcommittee testimony that no law deals specifically with the term partial-birth abortion, citing the 2003 federal ban upheld in 2007.
Source: PolitiFact, May 19, 2021
- On the record2019-05-17
After his office declined to release pre-2019 police misconduct records under SB 1421, a San Francisco judge ordered their release in a suit by the First Amendment Coalition and KQED; he said DOJ would comply.
Sources: KTVU (AP), May 17, 2019, KQED, May 17, 2019
- On the record2018-05-31
A State Auditor report found hate crimes underreported statewide and AP reported auditors faulted a lack of DOJ guidance and oversight; DOJ, which he headed, blamed earlier budget cuts.
Sources: California State Auditor, Report 2017-131, KPBS (AP), June 1, 2018
- Credit2021-06-17
Led more than 20 states defending the Affordable Care Act as attorney general; the Supreme Court held in California v. Texas that the challengers lacked standing, leaving the law in place.
Sources: Supreme Court, California v. Texas, No. 19-840, KFF Health News via News-Medical, Nov. 9, 2020
Steve Hilton
- Mark against2008
Arrested and fined for disorder in 2008 after a dispute with railway staff over a ticket at Birmingham station, as reported in 2026 by the Press Association and the New York Review of Books.
Sources: Irish News (Press Association), June 10, 2026, New York Review of Books, June 9, 2026
- On the record2026-06-08
Declined to back President Trump's claim that California's June 2026 primary was rigged, while criticizing the slow vote count.
Sources: TheWrap, June 8, 2026, Irish News (Press Association), June 2026
- On the record2026-10-05
Took part in an October 2026 candidate forum co-hosted by the Los Angeles Times and LAist, which included questions from readers and listeners; Becerra did not take part.
Source: LAist, Oct. 5, 2026
- On the record2025-11-04
Filed Hilton v. Weber in federal court in September 2025 to block Proposition 50's congressional map; the court denied an injunction and dismissed for lack of standing, and he dismissed the case.
Sources: Loyola Law School, All About Redistricting, Hilton v. Weber, ABC30 Fresno, Sept. 25, 2025
- On the record2016
Backed Brexit in 2016 against Prime Minister David Cameron, his former boss.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Xavier Becerra. PolitiFact has rated five of his statements: one True, two Mostly True, one Half True and one False, below E15's threshold. No FPPC enforcement finding naming him was found.
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Xavier Becerra. No public record found.
Steve Hilton. Broke with Prime Minister David Cameron, his former boss, to back Brexit in 2016, and in June 2026 declined to back President Trump's claim that California's primary was rigged.
Sources: Irish News (Press Association), June 10, 2026, TheWrap, June 8, 2026, Irish News (Press Association), June 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Xavier Becerra. Took part in the Sept. 30, 2026 CNN debate, the only scheduled one; he had not accepted Hilton's challenge to further debates, per the San Francisco Standard.
Sources: ABC30 Fresno, Oct. 1, 2026, San Francisco Standard, Sept. 30, 2026
Steve Hilton. Took part in the Sept. 30, 2026 CNN debate and publicly challenged Becerra to further debates.
Sources: ABC30 Fresno, Oct. 1, 2026, San Francisco Standard, Sept. 30, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Xavier Becerra. More than 35 years in public office, including the House, attorney general and HHS secretary, with no censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Source: Spectrum News 1, May 14, 2026
Steve Hilton. Served as director of strategy in 10 Downing Street and later led a startup and a cable news program. No formal conduct finding within the last 10 years found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Xavier Becerra. In April 2023 the Office of Special Counsel found he violated the Hatch Act as HHS secretary by backing Sen. Alex Padilla's reelection in his official capacity, an official finding of misuse of office. Did not vote on the 2005 Ohio objection.
Sources: U.S. Office of Special Counsel, April 18, 2023, Sacramento Bee via Yahoo News, April 19, 2023, PolitiFact, May 19, 2021, PolitiFact, Xavier Becerra scorecard, House Clerk Roll Call 7, 2005, objection to Ohio electors, KTVU (AP), May 17, 2019
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Xavier Becerra. U.S. Representative from 1993 to 2017, California attorney general from 2017 to 2021 and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Ballotpedia, Xavier Becerra
Steve Hilton. Senior adviser and director of strategy to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron until 2012, then co-founder and CEO of Crowdpac and host of a Fox News program from 2017 to 2023. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Steve Hilton, Irish News (Press Association), June 10, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Xavier Becerra. Chaired the House Democratic Caucus (2013 to 2017) and was ranking member of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee. Proposes a cost-of-living state of emergency to freeze home insurance rates, a power others dispute.
Sources: Wikipedia, Xavier Becerra (infobox), Ballotpedia, Xavier Becerra, committee assignments, Spectrum News 1, May 14, 2026
Steve Hilton. Lists priorities on housing, affordability, education, cutting income and gas taxes and increasing oil drilling; detailed plan pages on his site could not be opened.
Source: Ballotpedia, Steve Hilton
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Xavier Becerra. Took part in the one televised general election debate and states priorities in public remarks; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey. His campaign site blocked automated access.
Sources: ABC30 Fresno, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, Xavier Becerra
Steve Hilton. Took part in the televised debate and states positions in plain language; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: ABC30 Fresno, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, Steve Hilton
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Xavier Becerra. Born in Sacramento and represented a Los Angeles district for 24 years. In-state share of contributions not available (Cal-Access blocked automated access).
Sources: Wikipedia, Xavier Becerra, GovTrack, Xavier Becerra
Steve Hilton. Moved to California in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. In-state share of contributions not available (Cal-Access blocked automated access).
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Xavier Becerra. Headed the California Department of Justice and then HHS. A February 2024 HHS inspector general report found 16 percent of sampled 2021 child-placement files lacked documentation of required sponsor safety checks.
Source: HHS Office of Inspector General, OEI-07-21-00250, Feb. 8, 2024
Steve Hilton. Co-founded the technology startup Crowdpac and was its CEO until 2018. No FPPC enforcement finding naming his committee found.
Source: Wikipedia, Steve Hilton
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Xavier Becerra. As attorney general led more than 20 states defending the Affordable Care Act; the Supreme Court in June 2021 held the challengers lacked standing. Filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration.
Sources: Supreme Court, California v. Texas, No. 19-840 (2021), KFF Health News via News-Medical, Nov. 9, 2020, Spectrum News 1, May 14, 2026
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Xavier Becerra. Missed 1,096 of 16,021 House roll call votes, 6.8 percent, from January 1993 to January 2017 (congressional thresholds: up to 10 percent is 1).
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Xavier Becerra. No public record found.
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Xavier Becerra. Two Republican state attorneys general he worked with praised him during his 2021 HHS confirmation, per Fox News.
Source: Fox News, March 9, 2021
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Xavier Becerra. No public record found.
Steve Hilton. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the California governor's race?
Xavier Becerra has the strongest record in the California governor's race. Xavier Becerra scores 54 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Steve Hilton at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Xavier Becerra's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Steve Hilton's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the California governor's race in 2026?
Xavier Becerra (Democratic), Steve Hilton (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Xavier Becerra a good candidate for Governor?
Xavier Becerra scores 54 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Steve Hilton a good candidate for Governor?
Steve Hilton scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every California race scored, and the California 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.