Steve Hilton’s Chances of Beating Becerra to Flip California: New Poll
Newsweek • • general
Key Points:
- Democrat Xavier Becerra leads Republican Steve Hilton 52% to 31% among registered California voters in the governor's race, according to a UC Berkeley poll with a 2-point margin of error.
- Becerra commands strong partisan support, with 82% of Democrats backing him, while Hilton has 84% support among Republicans; however, Democrats outnumber Republicans by 20 points in the state.
- Becerra leads across most demographics and regions, including a 65-to-21 advantage in the Bay Area and 54-to-21 in Los Angeles County; Hilton only leads in the North Coast and Sierra Nevada area.
- President Trump's endorsement of Hilton may hurt his general election chances, as 69% of California voters disapprove of Trump, reducing the benefit of that support.
- Becerra's rise followed the withdrawal of Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell, and he outperformed billionaire Tom Steyer among progressive voters; no Republican has won statewide office in California since 2006, and Hilton's odds of winning are currently low.