Sacramento, California — California’s June primary election produced a clear top-two contest for governor, setting the stage for a November battle between Democratic former Cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra and Republican commentator Steve Hilton. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who poured nearly a quarter-billion dollars into his self-funded bid, failed to break through despite the unprecedented spending.
Pleasanton, situated in the Tri-Valley about 40 miles east of San Francisco in Alameda County, has an estimated population of 80,000 and hosts corporate headquarters for Workday, Clorox, and Safeway.
The race is the latest test of California’s top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on a single ballot regardless of party and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election. Becerra’s rise followed the collapse of former front-runner Eric Swalwell’s campaign. Claremont McKenna College political science professor Andrew Sinclair said Democratic voters coalesced around Becerra because he offered a reliable contrast to former President Donald Trump: “What they want is a Democratic elected official who can go and fight Donald Trump.”
The primary also sent a signal about self-funded campaigns. Patrick Wolff spent $600,000 of his own money on an insurance commissioner bid, Yvonne Yiu invested $750,000 in a Board of Equalization campaign, and Saikat Chakrabarti poured millions into a congressional race. None advanced. Garry South, a veteran California Democratic strategist, said that kind of spending can become a liability: “They wear out their welcome.”
