As the final hours of the campaign barrel forward on this Sunday, November 1, 2026, California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton are crisscrossing the state in a starkly contrasting battle to succeed term-limited Gavin Newsom, with recent polls placing Becerra ahead by at least 20 percentage points.
The Bottom Line
- Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra holds a commanding lead of at least 20 points in the final days of the race, focusing heavily on anti-Trump sentiment and competitive House districts.
- Republican challenger Steve Hilton has leaned into unconventional tactics, campaigning in a mask of his rival at a Highland Park Trunk or Treat event while slamming high living costs.
- Voters across the state remain intensely focused on pressing affordability hurdles, including soaring housing costs, gas prices, and potential transportation levies.
Trunk or Treat Masks and Mileage Tax Debates
Republican candidate Steve Hilton injected theatrical flair into the final weekend of the race by donning a creepy rubber mask of his Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra, at a children’s Halloween event in Highland Park on Saturday, Los Angeles Times reported. Darting through the crowd handing out candy, the former Fox News commentator warned families about potential liberal tax proposals, shouting sarcastically that parents would face steep charges for every mile driven under a future Becerra administration. Becerra brushed off the stunt when asked about it at a campaign stop in Sacramento, suggesting to reporters that removing the mask would reveal Donald Trump underneath, or alternatively, a clown.
California has more immigrants than any other state in the country and our state deserves a Governor who stands with them – not a MAGA shill like Steve Hilton. pic.twitter.com/FGiqXCC34Y
The race to succeed Gavin Newsom has otherwise maintained a sedate rhythm despite the dramatic gap in recent polling data. With registered Democrats vastly outnumbering Republicans in California and the GOP shut out of statewide office for two decades, current surveys show Becerra holding a comfortable advantage of 20 percentage points or more. Hilton has embraced his underdog positioning by crisscrossing California as the election approaches.
Stumping for House Seats and Fending Off National Referendums
While Hilton has focused his messaging on state-level grievances—promising to lower gas prices to $3 a gallon, eliminate income taxes on the first $150,000 for workers, scuttle the high-speed rail project, and abolish the DMV—Becerra has spent the waning days of the campaign leveraging national political friction. Stumping in the Central Valley and Southern California and Biden Cabinet member has campaigned heavily alongside Democrats running in competitive congressional districts, such as the Sacramento-area seat held by Republican-turned-independent Representative Kevin Kiley.
Party leaders are actively utilizing broad anti-Trump sentiment to juice liberal voter turnout. At a Saturday rally supporting challenger Richard Pan, Becerra framed the election as a direct referendum on democracy itself, warning costumed volunteers that Donald Trump intends to undermine democratic institutions. That sentiment resonated with voters like 19-year-old Arthur Galvan, who told Yahoo News that while he disagrees with the Trump administration’s agenda, his daily anxieties remain fixed on education and the daunting reality of securing attainable housing in his home region of Lincoln.
| Candidate | Party | Key Campaign Proposals |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Becerra | Democratic | Protecting voting access, funding infrastructure via transit options, and mobilizing voters against Trump administration policies. |
| Steve Hilton | Republican | Lowering gas to $3 a gallon, eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000, and abolishing the DMV. |
Cost of Living Realities and Voter Anxiety on the Ground
Beneath the political posturing lies deep economic anxiety among everyday Californians grappling with inflation and housing shortages. When questioned about a proposed mileage tax to offset declining gas tax revenues as electric vehicle adoption grows, Becerra defended the consideration of all funding options to maintain aging bridges and highways, noting that sustainable mass transit requires legislative collaboration and community input. For voters like Huntington Park resident Italia Sandoval, however, the financial squeeze remains an immediate hurdle that trumps abstract policy debates.
