Tom Steyer Concedes California Governor Race, Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra Advance

Tom Steyer acknowledged his defeat in California’s governor race on Tuesday. He stated he lacked the support to advance to the November election.

It’s now clear that we do not have the votes necessary to advance to the general election in November, Steyer wrote on social media platform X.

After California’s jungle primary, the race has narrowed to two candidates. Ex-Fox News host Steve Hilton will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the November election.

Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund founder and environmental activist, entered the race after more than ten years in state politics and activism. He spent over $200 million of his own money on this campaign, having previously lost a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

During his campaign, Steyer supported a progressive platform. He called for the abolition of ICE, higher taxes on the wealthy, and universal healthcare. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed him.

Steyer noted the impact of corporate interests on the race outcome. He mentioned opposition spending of $55 million, the highest ever against a single candidate in a California primary, by corporations like Chevron, PG&E, and Meta.

This campaign proved that business-as-usual depends on politics-as-usual, and there is no going back,

Steyer wrote.

We must continue to fight for a system where democracy serves Californians, not corporations – and where you do not have to be a billionaire to run on single-payer, or on breaking up monopolies, or on calling out a corrupt system when you see it.

California uses a “jungle primary” system that places all candidates on the same ballot, with the top two, regardless of party, advancing to the general election. This setup allows candidates from the same party to compete in the final race.