Trump and living costs frame Becerra-Hilton race for California governor

California voters on Tuesday choose between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot run again because of term limits ¹. President Donald Trump, the state's high cost of living and political experience are all on the ballot, The Associated Press reported ¹.

Hilton faces steep odds. Democrats are about 45% of California's registered voters, and Republicans are about 25% ¹. An Emerson College poll taken Oct. 17-19 had Becerra at 60% and Hilton at 33% among likely voters, a 27-point gap, CalMatters reported ².

On tapeABC7 · Nov 3

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Two views of who is to blame

Becerra is a former state attorney general, congressman and U.S. health secretary under President Joe Biden. He says his 35-plus years in government make him the better choice ¹. He has tried to tie Hilton to Trump, who endorsed the Republican, and his campaign built a website listing Hilton's words of support for the president ¹².

You can’t do it with someone who’s never served, who’s never balanced a budget the size of California, who’s never actually been there to defend people against the tyrant like Donald Trump,

Hilton, a former Fox News host and British political adviser, has never held elected office. He says Democratic leaders have left Californians struggling to afford gas, housing and college ¹. He has promised to abolish the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon, a level the state has not seen in years ¹.

From Channel GOPNewsom connects World Liberty Financial to UAE chipsGavin Newsom · 157 plays · captioned, with the source named

That spirit is being crushed by this bloated, nanny-state bureaucratic government that Xavier has been a part of for 36 years.

On gas prices, Becerra told CalMatters the state's oil policies can matter. He pointed to Trump's war in Iran as the immediate cost issue and said the president should end it ². He also promised to keep covering people who would lose Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, under federal cuts of up to $30 billion a year. CalMatters noted he has not said where the money would come from ².

Ballots and what comes next

Mail voting has been underway for nearly a month ¹. The Trump administration has alleged that up to 20,000 noncitizens could be registered to vote in California, and the Justice Department sued to stop those ballots from being counted ¹. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that demand Monday after several lower courts also sided with California ¹.

On tapeABC10 · Nov 1

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State and local officials say they follow federal law and that the federal numbers are likely inflated. Election experts say noncitizen voting is rare and has not been shown to change an election's outcome ¹.

That matters beyond California. The race is a test of whether a Republican can use prices to cut into a Democratic stronghold, and of whether voters pin the cost of living on Sacramento or Washington. Becerra raised $40 million and Hilton $33.6 million, according to CalMatters ².

The Record

1. Sep 30, 2026Becerra and Hilton met in a CNN debate in September, the only one Becerra agreed to ¹².
2. Oct 19, 2026An Emerson College poll taken Oct. 17-19 showed Becerra ahead 60% to 33% ².
3. Nov 2, 2026The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's demand over ballots cast by alleged noncitizens ¹.

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<h2>Trump and living costs frame Becerra-Hilton race for California governor</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-and-living-costs-frame-becerra-hilton-race-for-california-governor">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.</em></p> <p>California voters on Tuesday choose between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot run again because of term limits . President Donald Trump, the state&#39;s high cost of living and political experience are all on the ballot, The Associated Press reported .</p> <p>Hilton faces steep odds. Democrats are about 45% of California&#39;s registered voters, and Republicans are about 25% . An Emerson College poll taken Oct. 17-19 had Becerra at 60% and Hilton at 33% among likely voters, a 27-point gap, CalMatters reported .</p> <h2>Two views of who is to blame</h2> <p>Becerra is a former state attorney general, congressman and U.S. health secretary under President Joe Biden. He says his 35-plus years in government make him the better choice . He has tried to tie Hilton to Trump, who endorsed the Republican, and his campaign built a website listing Hilton&#39;s words of support for the president .</p> <blockquote><p>You can’t do it with someone who’s never served, who’s never balanced a budget the size of California, who’s never actually been there to defend people against the tyrant like Donald Trump,</p><p>&mdash; Xavier Becerra, Democratic candidate for governor, California</p></blockquote> <p>Hilton, a former Fox News host and British political adviser, has never held elected office. He says Democratic leaders have left Californians struggling to afford gas, housing and college . He has promised to abolish the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and cut gas prices to $3 a gallon, a level the state has not seen in years .</p> <blockquote><p>That spirit is being crushed by this bloated, nanny-state bureaucratic government that Xavier has been a part of for 36 years.</p><p>&mdash; Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for governor, California</p></blockquote> <p>On gas prices, Becerra told CalMatters the state&#39;s oil policies can matter. He pointed to Trump&#39;s war in Iran as the immediate cost issue and said the president should end it . He also promised to keep covering people who would lose Medi-Cal, California&#39;s Medicaid program, under federal cuts of up to $30 billion a year. CalMatters noted he has not said where the money would come from .</p> <h2>Ballots and what comes next</h2> <p>Mail voting has been underway for nearly a month . The Trump administration has alleged that up to 20,000 noncitizens could be registered to vote in California, and the Justice Department sued to stop those ballots from being counted . The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that demand Monday after several lower courts also sided with California .</p> <p>State and local officials say they follow federal law and that the federal numbers are likely inflated. Election experts say noncitizen voting is rare and has not been shown to change an election&#39;s outcome .</p> <p>That matters beyond California. The race is a test of whether a Republican can use prices to cut into a Democratic stronghold, and of whether voters pin the cost of living on Sacramento or Washington. Becerra raised $40 million and Hilton $33.6 million, according to CalMatters .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-and-living-costs-frame-becerra-hilton-race-for-california-governor">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/trump-and-living-costs-frame-becerra-hilton-race-for-california-governor.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. ABC News (AP), “Trump and affordability loom over California governor's race between Becerra and Hilton” (2026-11-03). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-affordability-loom-cali
2. CalMatters, “The final stretch: Catch up on what's happened in the California governor's race so far” (2026-10-27). calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-governor-race-fin

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