Democrat Xavier Becerra is the projected winner of the California gubernatorial race, the Associated Press projects.
Becerra advanced to the general election after receiving 28 percent of the vote in the June 2 primary.
Becerra ran on his experience as a congressman, attorney general of California, and experience as HHS Secretary.
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The victory by Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration official, ensures California and the White House will remain adversaries for the final two years of President Donald Trumps second term. Becerra repeatedly tied his opponent, Republican Steve Hilton, to the president and promised to defend California against Trumps policies on everything from immigration to voting rights.
In so many ways, this election is a choice between reaching higher for Californias golden dream or descending further down Donald Trumps golden, infamous escalator, Becerra said at a recent rally, referencing Trumps 2015 announcement that hed run for president.
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Becerra argued he was best positioned for the job after serving more than 35 years in state and federal office, including as a congressman and health secretary in President Joe Bidens administration. Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, has never held elected office.
Becerra will be Californias first Latino governor since the late 19th century.
He sustained Democrats 16-year winning streak in statewide California elections, which Hilton tried to break by arguing one-party rule was to blame for the states high cost of living and homelessness crisis. He argued Becerra would prolong his partys failure to adequately address homelessness.
This is what you get with one-party rule, Hilton said at a news conference before Election Day. You get a bunch of people in charge who think that they can get away with anything.
The two candidates emerged from a large primary field with half a dozen prominent Democrats and two notable Republicans.
Becerra wasnt considered a top contender for the first months of his campaign. He admitted at a recent rally that his campaign was an afterthought, maybe even a punchline at the time.
That changed when former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been viewed as a front-runner, dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress following allegations he sexually assaulted several women. Hes denied the accusations. His departure caused the party establishment and voters to look for a more reliable alternative, and they found one in Becerra.
He sought to take advantage of Trumps deep unpopularity in the state by tying Hilton to Trump, noting the president has endorsed the Republican. Becerras campaign launched a website that lists quotes of Hilton expressing support for the president and his policies. The site includes illustrations of the two Republicans standing side by side.
Hilton tried to break through by releasing splashy ads, sometimes with AI-generated content, to encourage voters who typically choose Democrats to try something new. He also tried to appeal to the public by making ambitious promises, including pledging to abolish the DMV and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon, a rate the state hasnt seen in years.
Becerra will be states 1st Latino governor in over a century
Becerra was born in Sacramento to a mother from Mexico and a father who was born in California and raised in Mexico. Hes made appealing to Latino voters a key part of his campaign strategy, including by releasing ads and social media posts in Spanish.
Im running to be what the haters fear most: a proud son of immigrants with a law degree and a union card governing Americas most diverse and successful state, Becerra said at a recent rally.