Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for Governor of California
Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a commanding lead over Republican Steve Hilton in California’s race for governor, according to a new Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) Poll that highlights the state’s deep partisan and regional divisions.
The survey found that 55% of likely voters support Becerra, compared with 37% for Hilton. Another 7% remain undecided ahead of the November general election.
Becerra receives support from 88% of Democrats, while 91% of Republicans back Hilton. The candidates also draw nearly unanimous support from voters aligned with their respective political ideologies.
“After the unsettled and chaotic primary, this is shaping up to be a fairly standard California general election, where Democrats enjoy a comfortable edge statewide. Hilton would need to make major inroads among traditionally Democratic leaning groups to make this a highly competitive race,” said Eric Schickler, co-director of Berkeley IGS.
Xavier Becerra, Democratic candidate for Governor of California. (Facebook Photo)
Becerra holds substantial leads in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County and Central Coast, along with an 11-point advantage in San Diego County. Hilton leads by 19 points in the San Joaquin Valley and 9 points in the North Coast and Sierra region.
Becerra also leads across every age, gender and racial or ethnic subgroup measured, with particularly strong support among younger voters, women and Black voters.
Among Becerra supporters, 38% cited his support for “traditional Democratic policies, like expanding healthcare and protecting LGBTQ+ rights” as their primary reason for backing him. An equal share said he “will aggressively fight Trump administration policies.”
Fifty-five percent of Hilton supporters pointed to his backing of “traditional Republican policies, like lowering taxes and reducing government regulations,” while 28% said he is “not part of the California political establishment.”
Becerra also holds a stronger overall image rating: 49% of likely voters view him favorably and 43% unfavorably. Hilton is viewed favorably by 39% and unfavorably by 50%. Among voters unaffiliated with either major party, Becerra’s rating is slightly positive, while Hilton’s is decidedly negative.
The bilingual online poll was conducted Aug. 3-9 among 4,207 registered California voters, including a weighted sample of 2,310 likely voters. Its estimated sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
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Bo Tefu, California Black Media contributed to this report.
