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Updated vote counts from California’s primary show Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra leading the field and on track to advance to the November runoff — a matchup that will shape the state’s approach to housing, taxes and technology regulation. With partial precinct returns tallied, the immediate question for voters is how those leads will translate into strategy and turnout ahead of the general election on Nov. 3.
Where the returns stand
As of early Wednesday, the California Clerk’s Office reports that Hilton has received roughly 1,386,966 votes, or about 27.8% of ballots counted. Becerra follows with approximately 1,267,070 votes, near 25.4%. Progressive philanthropist Tom Steyer trails in third with close to 979,007 votes, about 19.6% of the current total.
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The Secretary of State indicated that some portion of ballots from every precinct had been processed by 4:44 a.m. Wednesday. Local tallies give a clearer picture of regional strength: in San Luis Obispo County, early returns show Hilton leading with 32.58% to Becerra’s 20.16%, while Steyer holds about 17.51% of that county’s counted ballots. County officials reported that roughly 19.8% of eligible ballots had been included in the count by 12:52 a.m. Wednesday.
- Steve Hilton: ~1,386,966 votes (27.8%)
- Xavier Becerra: ~1,267,070 votes (25.4%)
- Tom Steyer: ~979,007 votes (19.6%)
- San Luis Obispo County (early returns): Hilton 32.58%, Becerra 20.16%, Steyer 17.51%
Who the frontrunners are
Hilton, a former strategy adviser to a British prime minister and the founder of several private ventures and a nonprofit organization, positioned his campaign around expanding economic opportunity and reshaping tax policy to ease household costs.
Becerra brings a long public-service résumé, including a recent cabinet role overseeing health and human services, decades in Congress and time as California’s attorney general. He has emphasized housing production and regulatory steps on emerging technologies.
Policy contrasts that matter to voters
The candidates offer differing prescriptions for California’s cost-of-living and housing crunch. Hilton’s plan centers on tax cuts — including changes aimed at lower-income earners and a streamlined top-rate approach — and loosening some land-use restrictions to promote single-family home construction. He argues such measures will restore affordability and broaden homeownership.
Becerra argues the state must treat housing as an emergency, using executive authority to direct agencies to speed production, lower building costs, and enforce existing housing laws while expanding routes to ownership. He also proposes regulatory guardrails for artificial intelligence to protect public safety and ensure the technology benefits a broad swath of Californians.
Both platforms underscore housing as a pivotal issue for the fall election, but they differ on the role of regulation, taxation and the types of housing to prioritize. Those distinctions are likely to shape campaign messaging and where each contender focuses resources ahead of November.
What to watch next
With the top-two finishers now clear in early returns, attention shifts quickly to turnout, fundraising and endorsements that could alter momentum. The November general election will give all registered voters a direct say in choosing California’s next governor; until then, updated precinct counts and provisional ballots may narrow or widen the reported margins.
For voters, the contest raises practical stakes: who controls state housing policy, tax structure and rules around fast-moving technologies like AI. Those outcomes will affect housing costs, local government revenues and how companies deploy new systems across the state.
Update: Vote totals in this article were updated on Wednesday, June 3 to reflect the most recent counts released by county and state officials.
