According to the results of a survey carried out by the Institute of Government Studies at the University of California Berkeley, Democrat Xavier Becerra is emerging as the favorite to win the upcoming elections to be held in the “Golden State.”
The former Secretary of Health during the Biden administration leads the preferences with 55% support compared to 37% for Republican Steve Hilton, a friend of President Donald Trump.
The growth of the campaign of the politician born in Sacramento, but of Mexican descent, is extremely surprising, as he managed to prevail in the Democratic primaries when he beat 61 candidates in June.
The survey conducted from August 3 to 9 determined that 88% of potential Democratic voters are inclined to support Becerra, while 91% of conservatives would give their vote to Hilton.
The Democrat would have in his favor the support of the female, African-American and youth vote, which has little to do with his Latin origin as he is the son of immigrants, since only 1% of those who support him take this peculiarity into account.
Of the Californians consulted, 49% have a favorable opinion of Becerra compared to 43% of those who think the opposite.
Regarding Hilton, 50% of potential voters have a negative opinion about him and only 39% in his favor.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), among registered voters in the “Golden State,” Democrats represent 45.3% compared to 25.2% of Republicans.
So, with a ratio of practically 2 to 1, Becerra is poised to become the first Latino governor of California in more than 150 years.
In fact, the Republican Party has not governed California for two decades, since actor Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to win his re-election for a second term on November 7, 2006.
Another point to take into account is that, in the most populated entity and with the largest economy in the United States, Latinos represent close to 40% of the population and Californians of Mexican origin make up around a third of the total.
