Tom Steyer has conceded the California governor’s race. On Tuesday, he acknowledged he lacked the votes to continue to the November election. “It’s now clear that we do not have the votes necessary to advance to the general election in November,” Steyer wrote in a statement.
Following California’s primary, two candidates remain. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the November election.
Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmental activist, joined the race after a decade in state politics and environmental advocacy. He spent over $200 million of personal funds on this campaign. Previously, he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 but did not succeed.
During his campaign for governor, Steyer promoted a progressive agenda. He called for abolishing ICE, imposing higher taxes on the wealthy, and offering universal healthcare. Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., an advocate against billionaire influence in politics, endorsed him.
Steyer attributed the election outcome to corporate interests. “By spending $55 million – the most ever against a single candidate in a California primary – they showed the lengths they would go to in order to protect a status quo that only serves them and their profits,” he stated. Companies like Chevron, PG&E, and Meta were involved in the opposition spending.
He continued, “This campaign proved that business-as-usual depends on politics-as-usual, and there is no going back. We must continue to fight for a system where democracy serves Californians, not corporations – and where you do not have to be a billionaire to run on single-payer, or on breaking up monopolies, or on calling out a corrupt system when you see it.”
The governor’s race in California uses a “jungle primary” system. All candidates, regardless of party, appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November.