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Steve Hilton, a former senior adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, has lost his bid to become California governor, with Democrat Xavier Becerra projected to win within minutes of polls closing, according to the BBC.
Hilton, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, faced a difficult contest as a Republican in the strongly liberal state. Polls had indicated he had only a narrow chance of victory, as Democrats recorded historic gains in the midterm elections.
During his campaign, Hilton said he wanted to “save” California from what he described as excessive bureaucracy and economic decline. He also pledged to restore affordability and opportunity in what he called “the most incredible place in the world”.
Becerra will be California’s first Latino governor in more than 150 years. He succeeds Gavin Newsom, who is barred from seeking another term because of term limits.
Becerra represented Los Angeles in Congress for 24 years and served as California’s top prosecutor. He later became secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.
Hilton, an architect of the UK Conservative Party’s “Big Society” agenda under Cameron, presented himself as an outsider in the governor’s race. Both candidates focused on the state’s high cost of living, housing affordability, energy policy and relations with the federal government.
“We fought and we won,” Becerra said in a victory speech on Tuesday night in Sacramento, California’s capital. He said the state had faced difficult years under Trump’s leadership, adding: “We hung in there, fought back. It felt like mission: impossible, we knew it was mission: necessary”.
He told supporters: “You have now entered the Becerra era.”
Hilton acknowledged his defeat at an event with supporters and referred to the Democratic wave across much of the country, which gave Democrats full control of Congress.
“Maybe this isn’t the best year to be running for office as a Republican when you see what’s going on around the country, but I tell you what, this is the best place to be running for office as a Republican because there is nowhere better than California,” he said.
Hilton called California “the greatest place in the greatest nation on earth” and said it had been an honour and a joy to travel across the state during his campaign. “The change we hoped for may be delayed but the change is coming,” he added.
The governor’s race began with a large field of contenders. It came into sharper focus after congressman Eric Swalwell, who appeared to be an early frontrunner, withdrew amid sexual assault allegations that he has denied.
Becerra and Hilton emerged as the leading candidates in the June primary, edging out progressive billionaire Tom Steyer.
