Californians will choose a new governor on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The governor signs or vetoes every state law, appoints judges and agency heads, and proposes a state budget — about $350 billion this year — for 39 million people. Gavin Newsom can’t run again, so the seat is open.
Two candidates advanced from the June primary to the general-election ballot. In alphabetical order by last name:
Xavier Becerra (Democratic) served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and, before that, as California Attorney General. He says he’d declare a state of emergency to freeze utility rates and home insurance premiums, and says he’d work with the Legislature to finance roughly 40,000 housing units he describes as shovel-ready. He campaigns on strengthening Medi-Cal and building toward a universal single-payer health system.
Steve Hilton (Republican) is a former Fox News host and served as director of strategy to British Prime Minister David Cameron. He says he’d eliminate the state income tax on the first $150,000 of earnings and cut the fees and rules he says make starter homes too expensive to build. He campaigns on every student reading by third grade and on ending the state’s annual minimum franchise tax on small businesses.
What’s not settled: most of what either candidate proposes — tax changes, housing financing, health coverage changes — would need approval from the Legislature before it could take effect.
For the voter: the deadline to register is Oct. 19, at registertovote.ca.gov. If you miss it, California lets you register and vote the same day, through Election Day, at your county elections office or any vote center. Every active registered voter gets a ballot in the mail, and counties begin mailing them by Oct. 5. You can check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Drafted by News Observed Editorial AI, human reviewed and published.