Republican Steve Hilton Advances to November General Election, Beating Out Democrat Tom Steyer

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, June 10, 2026:

• Republican candidate for California governor Steve Hilton is advancing to the November general election after beating out Democrat Tom Steyer for the second spot. Hilton will face off against Democrat and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services  Xavier Becerra.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $300 million in subsidies for low-income Californians as part of his May budget revise. The subsidies would go toward people who pay for their health care through Covered California. Some of those recipients are waiting to see if state lawmakers will adopt the proposal this month, but they still face challenges.
• Four key congressional races across Southern California and the Central Valley finally have their match ups set for November.
• The White House is appealing a judge’s decision to strike down President Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

Republican Steve Hilton is Facing Off Against Democrat Xavier Becerra  November Race for Governor 

Republican Steve Hilton is Facing Off Against Democrat Xavier Becerra in the November race for governor

Hilton, a former political adviser in the United Kingdom and Fox News host, was able to consolidate Republican voters after winning an endorsement from President Donald Trump. But his path to victory in November promises to be an uphill climb: No Republican has been elected governor of California since 2006.

“What an incredible honor to be chosen by Californians to lead the movement for change in the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth,” Hilton said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get started on the most high-energy campaign this state has ever seen.”

Vote-by-mail ballots cast on Election Day trended more Democratic than early votes because of Democratic voters waiting to turn in ballots, increasing Becerra and Steyer’s vote share and decreasing Hilton’s share in recent counts.

But even with millions of ballots left to count, Steyer’s path remained narrow — he needed to lead Hilton by overwhelming margins in the updates coming from deep blue Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Newsom’s Budget Proposal Calls for Millions in Subsidies for Low Income Californians 

Newsom proposed $300 million in health care subsidies to support low-income residents who get their coverage through the Covered California marketplace. But, even if Newsom’s proposal is approved this month, beneficiaries say they still face a wait and high costs.

The proposal would apply to about 200,000 people, whose earnings are just above the threshold for state financial help. That’s in addition to the federal assistance they could have qualified for, but that Congress let expire.

State lawmakers still have to approve Newsom’s proposal, which has a deadline of June 15. Even if it passes, beneficiaries won’t see the assistance until the start of 2027.

Four Key Congressional Races Are Set for November 

Voters in the Central Valley and Southern California have candidates for four key congressional races in November set.

In the Central Valley, Democrat Randy Villegas is advancing in the race for the 22nd Congressional District against defending Republican Rep. David Valadao. The district is Democratic-leaning, but Valadao has held the position for 13 years.

Villegas overcame Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a physician and moderate Democrat backed by state and national party leaders, in what amounts to a stunning rebuke of establishment politics and in defiance of conventional wisdom on how to win swing districts.

Kevin Kiley, who currently represents the 3rd Congressional District and previously was a Republican, advanced as an independent in his race to take over the 6th Congressional District seat.

Kiley will take on Democrat Richard Pan.

In the 7th Congressional race, a seat that covers most of Sacramento, Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui will battle against progressive Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang.

Two Republicans, Ken Calvert and Young Kim, are also set for a matchup for Southern California’s 40th Congressional District.

White House Appeals Strike Down of Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee

U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin concluded the $100,000 fee was an unauthorized and “arbitrary and capricious” tax.

“The Proclamation expresses concern about the share of foreign workers filling jobs in the science and technology fields, specifically focusing on the IT sector,” Sorokin wrote. “However, [it] fails to consider or discuss these policy concerns as they pertain to other human-services sectors, such as education and healthcare.”

President Donald Trump imposed the fee in a September 2025 proclamation, and his administration argued the restrictions were within the executive branch’s authority.

Sorokin sided with 20 states in the lawsuit, led by California, which alleged that the executive branch exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.