The race for governor of California is intensifying, with two Democrats—Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra—offering starkly different visions for the state. While the winner is almost certain to be a Democrat, the outcome could reshape the party's direction in the country's most populous state.
Xavier Becerra, the establishment favourite, has followed a traditional political path from Congress to attorney general and then US health secretary. Critics argue he represents the corporate-friendly liberalism that has long dominated the California Democratic Party, with scant policy differences from outgoing governor Gavin Newsom. In contrast, billionaire activist Tom Steyer promises a progressive overhaul, including higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, free education, and universal healthcare.
Steyer's campaign has drawn on his personal fortune, with a record $200m in advertising. He has attacked Becerra as a career politician backed by corporations and billionaires, while defending his own past investment in private prisons as a mistake he has since worked to rectify. The race has exposed deep ideological rifts within the party, with progressives torn between supporting a billionaire and embracing his transformative agenda.
With the primary on 2 June narrowing the field to two candidates, the contest between Steyer and Becerra will test whether California's Democrats are ready to break from the status quo or stick with a more cautious approach.
