SACRAMENTO — Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a sizable advantage over Republican Steve Hilton in the race for California governor, according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, which also found broad public opposition to construction of artificial intelligence data centers.
Poll shows commanding lead, partisan splits
The PPIC poll reported that 61% of likely voters backed Becerra, compared with 36% for Hilton. The survey found virtually all voters in each party backed their party’s candidate, while a majority of independents favored Becerra over Hilton.
| Candidate | Share of likely voters |
|---|---|
| Xavier Becerra (D) | 61% |
| Steve Hilton (R) | 36% |
According to the poll, most independents leaned toward Becerra, with the survey recording a roughly 60%-34% split among that group. The findings reflect California’s deep Democratic advantage in statewide contests; Republicans have not carried a state office since 2008, the pollsters noted.
Climate, housing and resistance to AI infrastructure
Beyond the match-up, the survey probed voter views on environmental and development policies. Respondents broadly supported state measures to protect the environment and cut emissions, and they favored a ballot measure to alter the state's major environmental review law to accelerate housing and infrastructure projects.
Notably, voters registered strong opposition to construction of data centers for artificial intelligence, signaling potential political headwinds for projects tied to large-scale computing infrastructure.
Campaign response
“Instead of a 36-year career politician, we need a positive, energetic problem-solver with business experience and plans to make our state ‘Califordable’ — that’s me,”
Hilton responded to the poll by characterizing the contest as “wide open,” arguing that headline figures exaggerate Becerra’s strength and that his own message on affordability and private-sector experience could shift the dynamics.
Becerra’s standing in this survey closely mirrors earlier polling conducted immediately before the June primary that also showed him with a clear advantage over Hilton, pointing to sustained support as the campaign moves forward.
- Becerra leads with 61% of likely voters in the PPIC survey.
- Voters oppose building AI data centers in the state by significant margins.
- Most independents lean toward Becerra, reinforcing the Democratic edge in California.
The poll underscores enduring Democratic dominance in California statewide politics while highlighting a growing public reluctance to embrace certain technology infrastructure projects — a debate likely to shape both policy discussion and campaign messaging through November.
