Democrat Xavier Becerra's lead over Republican Steve Hilton in California's gubernatorial race has slightly widened, as a new poll shows voters continue to cite the cost of living as a top concern.
Becerra now holds 58% support from likely voters, while Hilton draws 33%, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Thursday, Sept. 24.
The 25-point advantage is larger than in an August IGS poll, which found Becerra led Hilton by 18 points, 55% to 37%.
“These results suggest that Becerra is in a commanding position heading to November," IGS co-director Eric Schickler said in a statement. "With 2026 shaping up to be a strong Democratic year nationally, the headwinds facing Hilton in Democratic-leaning California are even
stronger than usual."
The poll comes about a week before Becerra and Hilton are set to face off in a CNN debate on Sept. 30, marking the first time the two will share a debate stage since advancing from the crowded June primary.
Here's what else to know about the poll, conducted between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20 among 6,989 registered voters, including 4,512 likely general election voters. The margin of error is ±2 percentage points.
Becerra's favorable ratings outpace Hilton's, poll finds
As in other recent polls, support for the candidates breaks sharply along partisan lines, with Becerra leading among Democrats (90% to 3%) and Hilton leading among Republicans (90% to 4%).
"However, since Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nearly two-to-one margin, these preferences tilt the race decidedly to Becerra," pollsters noted.
Becerra also holds the backing of non-partisan voters by a 26-percentage-point margin.
Regionally, Becerra's strongest support still comes from voters in the heavily Democratic regions of Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area.
"But what’s changed over the past six weeks is that Becerra now has improved his standing with voters across several regions where Hilton had previously been leading," pollsters said.
Pollsters highlighted Orange County and the Inland Empire, where Becerra now holds notable leads over Hilton among likely voters. Meanwhile, Hilton's once-sizeable leads in the San Joaquin Valley and North Coast/Sierras regions are beginning to narrow.
"Support for Becerra is extremely broad-based across major demographic subgroups of the state’s electorate, as he holds significant leads over Hilton among voters of all ages, both males and females, and across each of the state’s four major racial/ethnic subgroups," pollsters wrote.
Becerra does well among voters ages 18 to 29, where he captures 68% compared to Hilton's 19%.
"Preferences for Becerra are driven by his being viewed more positively than negatively by the statewide electorate, while Hilton is not," pollsters wrote.
Nearly half of likely voters (48%) have a favorable opinion of Becerra, while 40% have an unfavorable view. This contrasts sharply with Hilton, who is viewed more negatively than positively, 51% to 35%.
Among non-partisan voters, about equal shares view Becerra favorably and unfavorably, while Hilton is viewed more negatively than positively by a five-to-three margin.
Cost of living a top concern
When voters were presented with a list of issues in the upcoming general election and asked to pick their top two concerns, reducing the cost of living ranked first (44%), followed by fighting Trump administration policies (37%). Those were followed by ensuring their party maintains or wins control of Congress (30%) and reducing taxes (24%).
Supporters of both candidates cite the cost of living and control of Congress as major concerns. However, Becerra's supporters are more focused on fighting Trump administration policies, while Hilton's supporters are more focused on reducing taxes. Among undecided voters, the cost of living remains the top concern.
When is California’s general election?
California's general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to state officials, the last day to register to vote for California’s general election is Oct. 19. Counties will begin mailing ballots to registered voters no later than Oct. 5.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Becerra widens lead over Hilton in CA gubernatorial race, poll finds
