Xavier Becerra beat Republican Steve Hilton by a wide margin. SFist reported he had about 65% of the vote to Hilton's 34% with nearly half of ballots counted, and the Associated Press called the race Wednesday. He will be California's first elected Latino governor in 150 years. Hilton conceded about an hour after polls closed.
As CalMatters noted, Becerra made few promises in a safe-seat race. He takes over as the state faces federal health care cuts, rising wildfire costs and a cost-of-living crisis. Here is what he has said.
Taxes
Becerra opposed the billionaire tax and has not endorsed any new income tax. He has signaled support for taxing corporations whose workers earn so little they qualify for public benefits. He is also considering charging drivers by the mile to pay for roads, because gas tax revenue is expected to fall by $31 billion over the next decade. "I believe that users should pay for (roads)," he told reporters.
Energy bills
He is pushing a "power hour": two free hours of daytime electricity each day, when solar power is plentiful, for low-income customers already in assistance programs. He has called the fight between utilities and insurers over wildfire liability a "food fight" and has not taken a side.
Immigration and health care
Becerra has said he will try to reverse Medi-Cal restrictions that affected immigrants. He has also promised to enforce new state laws limiting immigration agents' use of force and their activities on state property.
Death penalty
As attorney general he defended death sentences. During the campaign he said he would continue California's moratorium on executions because of concerns about racial bias and wrongful convictions. The state has not executed anyone since 2006.
Becerra calls himself a "pragmatic progressive." He served 24 years in Congress and was a close ally of Nancy Pelosi. SFist noted that his campaign gained ground after Eric Swalwell left the race. Swalwell has denied the allegations made against him. See also our results story.