Hilton Poised for November Ballot as California Vote Count Draws GOP Scrutiny

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Republican Steve Hilton appears poised to advance to California’s November gubernatorial election, setting up a likely showdown with Democrat Xavier Becerra after a prolonged ballot count that has intensified Republican criticism of the state’s election system.

Decision Desk HQ projected that Hilton, a businessman and former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, will finish in the top two in California’s nonpartisan primary. The Associated Press had not yet made the same call as of Tuesday.

According to the latest state tally cited in reports, Becerra led with 27.7% of the vote, followed by Hilton at 25.1%. Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer trailed in third with 22.4%, despite spending more than $200 million on his campaign.

Hilton called California’s drawn-out counting process a “catastrophic shambles,” arguing that the state’s mail-in ballot rules undermine public confidence. California mails ballots to every eligible voter and continues counting properly postmarked ballots that arrive after Election Day, a process state officials defend but Republicans say leaves too much room for doubt.

The criticism sharpened after Republican Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt fell from second to third place as late-counted mail ballots favored Democrat Nithya Raman, who will advance to the November runoff against Mayor Karen Bass.

President Trump, who has endorsed Hilton, has accused California of running rigged elections, while Democrats and election officials have rejected those claims and defended the state’s voting procedures. The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has also confirmed multiple election fraud investigations related to California elections.

Hilton said he has not seen fraud in his own race but argued the system needs major reform. His campaign is centered on lowering taxes, cutting spending, reducing regulations, and challenging decades of Democratic control in Sacramento.

Becerra, a former Biden administration health secretary and California attorney general, has pledged to address the state’s housing crisis and move California toward universal health care.

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