Becerra elected California governor; Bonta reelected AG

by | Nov 6, 2026 | Uncategorized

(The Center Square) – Xavier Becerra was elected governor of California Tuesday.

With 75.8% of precincts partially reporting, Becerra has 4,446,976 votes or 64.6%, compared to Republican Steve Hilton’s 2,440,639 votes or 35.4%. 

The numbers came at 11:30 p.m. Pacific time from the Secretary of State’s Office, which showed Democrats also won other executive branch races, including attorney general.

Becerra claimed victory, putting out messages on social media saying “Xavier Becerra Elected Governor of California.” Another messagesays “Gracias, California.”

Speaking to supporters Tuesday evening, Becerra, who is succeeding termed-out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, said the last two years of the Trump administration have been difficult.

“Higher prices, more wars, corruption and lawlessness, but we hung in there and fought back,” said Becerra. “It felt like ‘Mission Impossible.’ We knew it was Mission Necessary. And tonight, sisters and brothers, because of your tireless work, we can proudly utter the inspiring battle cry of our beloved and departed sister and warrior, Dolores Huerta: ‘¡Sí se puede!’ Yes, we can.”

Becerra is a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, California attorney general and U.S. House member.

On the campaign trail and in debates, Becerra pointed to President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Hilton as bad for California, adding that Hilton would do the president’s bidding on issues such as taxes and immigration.

Hilton said years of Democratic rule in Sacramento have made life difficult for people in the Golden State. Hilton also accused Becerra of “hiding” from voters.

In a speech to his supporters, Hilton thanked people for their votes.

“It looks like we didn’t win this time,” said Hilton. “People in this state are crying out for change, and it is our responsibility to fight like never before to bring that change for people who really need us now more than ever, so change may be delayed, but change is coming.”

Attorney general

In the race for California attorney general, Rob Bonta defeated Michael Gates.

With 44.5% of precincts partially reporting, Bonta has 4,375,479 votes or 64.3% compared to 2,427,162 or 35.7% for Gates. Again, that was at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday with 75.8% of precincts partially reporting.

Bonta, the Democratic incumbent, has campaigned on being a law-and-order attorney general, pointing to many fraud busts since he was elected in November 2022. He has also sued the Trump administration 100 times since President Trump re-entered office in January 2025. Bonta has portrayed himself as being a consumer-friendly attorney general, with lawsuits against big companies including Paramount Skydance for its plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount settled out of court, something Bonta and other attorneys general involved say they helped get for the people of their states.

Bonta’s campaign did not respond to The Center Square’s requests for interviews or comments.

A lifelong resident of California, Gates is a former deputy U.S. attorney. He is also a former city attorney for Huntington Beach. While there, Gates said he was tough on crime.

“I’ve made Huntington Beach one of the top 10 safest cities in the entire state of California out of nearly 500 cities,” Gates told The Center Square in May 2026. “We’re in the top 1% of safest cities in the state of California because of my tough-on-crime stance and my prosecution efforts here in the city, basically not putting up with anything and enforcing the law to the fullest extent.” 

Other executive branch races

Down the ballot, Democrat Eleni Kounalakis was leading Republican Jennifer Hawks for state treasurer.

With 48.9% of precincts partially reporting, Kounalakis, the current lieutenant governor, had 3,724,917 or 64.6% of the vote compared to 2,040,807 or 35.4% for Hawks.

Kounalakis has a background in housing and finance.  Hawks is a retired business executive.

In the race for controller, Democrat Malia Cohen has 3,713,242 or 64.4% of the vote compared to 2,054,399 or 35.6% for Republican Herb Morgan.

This is with 48.9% of precincts partially reporting.

For secretary of state, Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber was ahead with 3,779,730 or 65.3% of the vote while Republican Donald Wagner has 34.7%. This is with 48.9% of precincts partially reporting.

Lastly, the race for insurance commissioner featured an all-Democratic, neck-to-neck matchup between candidates Ben Allen and Jane Kim.  With 48.9% of precincts partially reporting, Kim has 2,575,323 or 51.5% of the vote. Ben Allen has 2,428,296 or 48.5%.

Newsom commutes death sentences for all 548 on death row

by | Nov 6, 2026 | Uncategorized

(The Center Square) – Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday commuted the death sentences of all 548 inmates on California’s death row, prompting swift and sharp criticism from district attorneys, law enforcement and advocates of homicide victims.

Newsom reduced the death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The move marks the largest mass grant of executive clemency in modern U.S. history.

The decision applies to 529 men and 19 women currently held on California’s death row, which is the largest condemned population in the Western Hemisphere. 

In defense of his executive action, the Democratic governor framed capital punishment as an irredeemable mechanism within an imperfect judicial system.

“State-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s legal values,” Newsom wrote in what he called an “Open Letter to All Californians.”

Newsom, who is leaving office in January after being termed-out, said he accepts “sole political and personal responsibility” for the decision, while acknowledging the profound grief and backlash the action would bring to victims’ families. Newsom has had a moratorium on the state carrying out executions since he signed an executive order on March 13, 2019, but a future governor can overturn that. 

California has not executed anyone since 2006. However, local district attorneys across California have continued to seek capital sentences in trial courts.

Newsom’s announcement of the commuted sentences drew condemnation from crime victim advocates, prosecutors and law enforcement groups, who noted that California voters repeatedly rejected statewide ballot initiatives to repeal the death penalty, most recently affirming capital punishment in 2012 and 2016. Critics argue that the problem with broad executive clemency is that it overrides jury verdicts and legal statutes enacted by voters.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami slammed Newsom’s decision, pointing specifically to the murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, whose killer’s death sentence was commuted under the action.

“Newsom, the same person who supported & backed Gascón in SF and LA, unilaterally, without talking to Gabriel’s family, just commuted Gabriel’s killers sentence,” Hatami said in an X post. Hatami was referring to former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who was criticized for being soft on crime.

“To me, little Gabriel will always be an example of courage. His case, his life, his death and his trial will always be with his family, with my family, with his friends and with our community,” Hatami said. “No matter what Newsom did today, Gabriel will never be forgotten.”

Hatami recounted the horrific details of the abuse Gabriel suffered and the trial testimony that led to the death penalty verdict.

“The ultimate punishment is truly appropriate for the defendant, even though it does not even compare to what the defendant did to Gabriel,” Hatami added, quoting his trial arguments. “No one who does this to a child can ever be called a victim. A victim is a child who was muffled and stuffed in a box. Who was forced to eat cat litter and cat feces. Who was forced to eat his own vomit. Gabriel is truly an example of courage. The defendant, on the other hand, is a true example of an evil coward.”

Meanwhile, human rights groups praised Newsom’s decision as a landmark shift in criminal justice reform. Amnesty International USA Executive Director Nadia Daar called the mass commutation a “decisive and powerful step away from the use of the death penalty.”

“Governor Newsom’s decision turns that long pause into meaningful and lasting progress against an inherently cruel, discriminatory and irreversible system,” Daar said in a press release.