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Although there are 24 days remaining until the June Primary Election results are certified by the California Secretary of State, Former California Legislator, CA Attorney General, Congressman, US Department of Health Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has been declared the winner by various media outlets. Businessman Steve Hilton has also been declared the second candidate to advance to the General Election. 

U.C. Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) released a poll last week of 8,578 registered voters. The poll was weighted based on party registration, likeliness of voting, and geographic location. It found the following for the November gubernatorial General Election:

Xavier Becerra (D) – 52%

Steve Hilton (R) – 31%

Undecided – 17%

The detailed poll analyzed the candidates’ strengths in California regions as well. Unsurprisingly, Becerra polled very well in the highly urbanized portions of the state. He also polled well in traditional Republican strongholds but trailed in the rural areas of the state. The IGS poll summarized its geographic findings this way:

“Regionally, Becerra is favored more than two to one among Los Angeles County voters and by a greater than three-to-one margin among voters in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Becerra also holds solid preference leads among voters in San Diego County, as well as among voters in the state’s Central Coast region. Hilton is competitive with Becerra in Orange County, the Inland Empire and the Central Valley, but trails in each region by narrow margins. The only region where Hilton begins the race with an early lead is among voters in the large but sparsely populated North Coast/Sierras region.”

An additional surprise from last week came in the form of an announcement that the California Chamber of Commerce endorsed Becerra. CalChamber is the statewide organization that advocates for business interests in Sacramento and apparently came to its decision after meeting with both candidates. CalChamber Board of Directors Chair Donna Lucas, a renowned public affairs operative, stated:

“California businesses depend on stability and certainty, and the world’s fourth largest economy needs a governor who can work productively with both the private sector and our state legislature. We believe Secretary Becerra is best positioned to deliver on that. His deep experience at the state and federal level, and reputation for digging deep into issues and carefully considering the views of everyone who’s at the table, have prepared him to successfully tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

*Staff and consultants from the Southern California Contractors Association prepared and produced this document. SCCA Communications Specialist Britney Jackson, SCCA Government Affairs Manager Clayton Miller, and SCCA Legislative Lobbyist Todd Bloomstine contributed to its creation. Please contact info@sccaweb.org for further information. Labor and regulatory matters may vary and are subject to change.*

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