Xavier Becerra will be California's next governor after defeating Republican Steve Hilton in a race the Associated Press called as polls closed on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

With more than 7.2 million votes counted statewide on election night, Becerra led 64.1% to 35.9%, according to the California secretary of state's office, as reported by the Mercury News. Ballot counting continues, with statewide certification due Dec. 11.

Becerra, 68, will succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom and is set to take office Jan. 4, 2027, according to CBS News. He will be California's first elected Latino governor. The only Latino to have previously held the office, Romualdo Pacheco, served about 10 months in 1875 after a gubernatorial resignation, according to the California State Library.

The Riverside County Democrats endorsed Becerra during the campaign.

What Becerra ran on

Becerra campaigned on declaring a housing emergency, helping stalled affordable developments obtain financing and enforcing state housing requirements against cities that fail to comply, according to Mercury News reporting. His campaign website called for treating housing "like the essential infrastructure it is" and pledged to speed up building approvals while protecting renters.

He also called for investments in wildfire prevention, flood control and seismic retrofits, and for lowering household energy costs through clean-energy expansion, according to his campaign platform.

Those priorities could carry weight in Murrieta, where state housing mandates and disaster preparedness affect city planning decisions.

The race

Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, had never held elected office. President Donald Trump endorsed Hilton's candidacy in April, according to NBC News.

Becerra tied Hilton to Trump throughout the campaign. Hilton argued one-party Democratic rule was to blame for California's high cost of living and homelessness, PBS reported.

A Public Policy Institute of California poll released in October found only 21% of California adults approved of Trump's job performance, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant, told the Sacramento Bee that voters would not hear Hilton's message as long as he stood by Trump.

Election night

Becerra addressed supporters in Sacramento on election night.

"What a great night to be a Californian. What a great night to be an American," Becerra said, according to KTLA. "Thank you for making tonight's victory possible. Thank you for making history in this election for governor."

The win extends Democrats' 16-year hold on the governor's office. California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.