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The race for California governor this fall will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in the nation’s most populous state.

Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, The Associated Press determined Tuesday. He’ll face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and health secretary under President Joe Biden.

The winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead the state that is home to roughly 39 million people, Hollywood, a booming tech industry and a vast farming region that helps feed the nation. By itself California represents one of the largest economies in the world.

The next governor will have to take on stubborn issues including a high cost of living, housing shortages and homelessness.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in California

Hilton is banking his campaign on voters being frustrated enough to do something they have not done in two decades: elect a Republican to statewide office. The last time that happened was when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term in 2006. Hilton has campaigned as an outsider who would bring change after more than 15 years of one-party rule.

“If you’re happy with the way that California is being run, Xavier Becerra is your guy,” Hilton said in a recent interview. “If you want change, vote for me.”

But simply having an “R” next to his name stacks the odds against Hilton, since Republicans make up just about 25% of registered voters compared with Democrats’ 45%. Trump’s endorsement likely boosted Hilton with GOP voters during the primary but could be a major liability in the general election.

Becerra was a chief architect of the state’s resistance to Trump during the first years of his presidency after then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, appointed him attorney general in 2017. In that role Becerra filed at least 120 legal actions against the federal government.

Becerra has made pushing back against Trump’s incursions a central piece of this campaign, as the president has repeatedly gone after the state during his second term including by curbing a signature plan to reduce planet-warning emissions from cars, withholding aid for wildfire recovery and suing over state policies supporting transgender student-athletes.

“Donald Trump is doubling down on decline and counting on people being too fearful, distracted or gullible to fight back,” Becerra told a crowd on primary night. “As governor I will never back down from the threats of small cowards in big offices.”

Results conclude a chaotic primary

It took nearly a week to determine the general election matchup for governor due to California’s notoriously slow vote-counting process. Ballots are mailed to every eligible voter and they are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at an election office within seven days. Counties process and count mail ballots in roughly the order they are received, so the last ones returned are the last ones counted.

The AP determined Friday that Becerra had won enough votes to advance to November. Hilton had been vying for a second spot against Democrat Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager turned climate activist who poured $215 million of his personal fortune into the campaign and blasted Californians’ screens with ads.

California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during an election night event June 2 in San Francisco. Credit: Noah Berger / Associated Press

Steyer steadily narrowed Hilton’s lead for second place every day since Election Day on June 2. But he was never on track to fully close the gap. The AP advanced Hilton to the general election on Tuesday after determining there weren’t enough outstanding votes for Steyer to catch Hilton.

Election data shows that large numbers of Democratic voters held onto their ballots until the final days of the election. That helped explain why Steyer did better than Hilton in the votes counted after Election Day.

Steyer conceded Tuesday and urged his supporters to back Becerra.

“It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not,” he said in a statement.

Affordability is a central issue

How to make the state more affordable was a major theme throughout the primary. Hilton promised to make Californians’ first $100,000 free of income tax, create a loan program for first-time homebuyers and freeze in-state tuition at public colleges. Becerra, meanwhile, said he would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates.

The two have one thing in common: They both come from immigrant backgrounds.

Hilton moved to California from the United Kingdom in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021. Back in the U.K., he was an adviser to Conservative Party officials including former Prime Minister David Cameron.

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton gestures after speaking at a news conference at the San Mateo County Elections office on June 5 in San Mateo. Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

Hilton has poked fun at his British accent by comparing himself to the Austria-born Schwarzenegger.

“I know that some of you may be watching and saying, ‘Who is this guy with a funny accent?’” he said on election night. “Well you know there was actually an immigrant who was governor of California not that long ago.”

Becerra was born to Mexican immigrant parents in Sacramento and also raised there. He said his family’s story mirrored his “underdog” campaign for governor.

“Like my parents, I never gave up,” he told supporters on election night. “I never stopped believing in the beaconlike goodness of California. And thankfully, neither did you.”

Becerra would be the state’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s.

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The post Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off in California governor’s race appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

The Ray Myers era is officially under way at Pajaro Valley High this week after he was formally introduced as the new head football coach Tuesday afternoon.

The longtime local defensive coordinator was already in full spirits by sporting the green, silver and black colors at Grizzly Stadium prior to a meeting with some of the incoming players.

“Being a coach basically is just an extension of the classroom,” Myers said. “It’s just another chance for me to teach and help impact people’s lives. Not just in the classroom, but on the field, too. It’s a great opportunity for that.”

Myers, 42, will replace Casey Neligh after he was pink-slipped by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District following three seasons (2023-25) at the helm.

Neligh led the Grizzlies to the program’s first-ever winning season after they finished with a 6-4 overall record. They were runners-up in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Santa Lucia Division with a 5-1 record in league play.

Pajaro Valley Athletic Director Joe Manfre said he opened the position not thinking he’d find somebody extremely qualified for the position in such a short period.

That’s when Myers’ name popped up on the EDJOIN website.

“I was like ‘holy moly,’” Manfre said. “The Myers name carries a lot of weight in the city of Watsonville and Santa Cruz County.”

Myers has been a physical education teacher at Pajaro Middle School for the past 18 years. He received his master’s degree in strength and conditioning, and taught a weightlifting class for the Cabrillo College football team the past four years.

Myers played his first three years of prep football at Monte Vista Christian in Watsonville, followed by his senior season at Gilroy High and two years at Cabrillo College.

In 2007, Myers got his first gig as a defensive line coach at Soquel High under his dad, Ron, who spent 47 years on the football sidelines, and was the mastermind behind the Black Death defense at Watsonville High in the 80s.

“I think it’s kind of cool that Ray’s wanted to step into that space, and make a name for himself a little bit, too,” Manfre said.

Myers was promoted to defensive coordinator for six more years until he jumped ship with his dad for his second stint at Watsonville from 2014-19.

He took two years off during the Covid-19 pandemic before making a return to his alma mater at Cabrillo College as a defensive line coach for four years (‘22-25).

Myers now will have a chance to lead a program for the first time in his career, and he’s bringing his mentor, Ron, along for the ride as one of his assistant coaches. 

“I feel like [Ray Myers] brings a wealth of knowledge, and he’s a teacher too. He knows how to deal with kids,” Manfre said. “I think it’s going to be a really good fit.”

Myers will become a physical education teacher at Pajaro Valley, and run a weightlifting class for the football team. He said a benefit to being an on-campus coach is having contact with players for constant grade checks.

Myers also mentioned building relationships with teachers on campus is critical because he wants to make sure students are passing classes outside of athletics.

“The goal for us, and it always has been, is if you play four years of football you’re going to be able to graduate to be eligible to do that,” Myers said. 

Myers can already see the bigger picture, which starts with recruiting as many student-athletes as possible to join the Grizzly football program.

After that, he’s hoping to create a pipeline to send those same players to the next level whether it’s at Cabrillo or another school of their choice. 

“I want it to be a positive experience for them,” Myers said. “I want to have that positivity spread to the school. [Casey Neligh] did a great job with the program. I’m not inheriting a program that is down, it’s a program that is on its way up, and he’s done a really good job of getting the place ready.”

The 168-megawatt facility will support Meta's global AI computing needs and can be expanded over time.

Logitech has unveiled the Mobi Fold mouse – a portable, foldable pointing device that could easily double as a replacement for a chunkier desktop version. It's the first foldable for Logitech, although alternatives have long been available. When you unfold it, it resembles something like Microsoft's Surface Arc mouse. Clad in pleasing materials, the Mobi Fold is available in a variety of colors: Graphite, Lilac, and Off White. The Graphite version feels like it will be more hard-wearing, and that is the aim of this device: lug it around with a laptop and whip it out to replace the inevitable inaccuracy of a trackpad. The mouse weighs in at 79 g, and its party trick – a fold like a '90s flip phone, or the considerably more expensive 2020s alternative – makes it very portable. Open it, and the device is ready for action. Close it, and the mouse is effectively dead. Logitech claims this is due to an "on-device AI model," although we imagine that simple microswitches would have performed more than adequately. But no vendor shall be left standing at the platform when the AI hype train leaves! The hinge is rated for 15 years, according to Logitech (although the warranty is considerably less – two years for EMEA customers), and the mouse is comfortable to use when expanded. Logitech states the battery will last for a month of use. Popping it on charge for a minute (there's a USB-C charge point on the base) will add 22 hours of use. The battery lurks beneath a cover held on by magnets and looks simple to replace. The Register asked Logitech about the cost and ease of replacement and will update when the company responds. The company also claims the device has "a drop-tested, dust-resistant exterior." In use, it's … fine. By virtue of its shape, the mouse is suitable for right- and left-handers – there are no molded shenanigans here. A "proper" mouse will certainly be better, but the Mobi Fold is more than sufficient for most use cases. No, it isn't festooned with buttons like some of Logitech's other devices, but the Mobi Fold ably demonstrates that most people don't really need those anyway. There's touch scrolling to replace the scroll wheel and two buttons on the touch panel that can be customized via the Logi Options+ app. We used Bluetooth in our testing – as with many of the company's devices, three different Bluetooth profiles can be selected – but Logitech will happily sell you a USB-C dongle if you fear the wireless protocol named after a 10th-century Viking. Should you get one? The answer is a reserved yes. As with many Logitech products, this device is aggressively competent. Some users might prefer the solidity of something heavier. Others might need lots of buttons. However, for users who simply want something to move a pointer around the screen, especially if you're happy using a Surface Arc-style device, the Mobi Fold works as advertised. Snapping it shut to pop it in a laptop bag is a bonus. It ain't cheap. The device retails at £69.99 ($79.99), which might be a bit spicy for some buyers – especially as we're already suffering higher prices from the ongoing RAMpocalypse. ®

Good Times editor Brad Kava celebrates the unexpected discoveries found in print, from local music and arts stories to Gabrielle Stocker’s remarkable bequest, Cheryl Anderson’s return (above) and a dose of World Cup fever.

This week’s letters include news of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Run coming through Santa Cruz, a remembrance of Nancy Park from the Resource Center for Nonviolence and reader comments on Oingo Boingo, Woody’s at the Watsonville Airport and Dusty Baker.

Davenport Roadhouse gets a coastal refresh with chef Jessie Curran, formerly of State Bird Provisions, The Progress and The Anchovy Bar, while DIYine brings homemade pineapple wine, mead, beer and more to Santa Cruz.

For nearly 80 years, Stagnaro Brothers Seafood Restaurant has served fresh seafood, family recipes and sweeping Monterey Bay views from its landmark location on the Santa Cruz Wharf.

Santa Cruz celebrates 40 years since The Lost Boys filmed on local shores, with a free Boardwalk screening, a Jamison Newlander signing at Atlantis Fantasyworld and vampire-themed festivities at the Blue Lagoon.

A Santa Cruz screening of The [M] Factor 2: Before the Pause brings women together to talk openly about perimenopause, menopause, shifting hormones and the search for better answers.

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Barbara Higbie and Teresa Trull reunite at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in support of their Greatest Hits album, bringing decades of acclaimed musicianship, Grammy-nominated history and collaborations with Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis and Whoopi Goldberg back to Santa Cruz. Wednesday, 6/17

Santa Cruz Guitar Company celebrates 50 years of custom acoustic guitars, sustainable craftsmanship and global influence with a new MAH exhibit honoring founder Richard Hoover and the luthiers behind the legendary local shop.

Santa Cruz County is getting ready for the 2026 World Cup with beachside watch parties, youth soccer clinics, restaurant fan zones, MAH events, Watsonville tournaments and a massive Main Beach celebration beneath the Giant Dipper.

The exec, Emad Dlala, has left just a few months after being promoted to SVP of engineering and digital, TechCrunch has learned.

A week after polls closed in California’s closely watched open gubernatorial primary last Tuesday—following a slow trickle of votes that fueled unsubstantiated claims of fraud from the president—Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will advance to the November general election, winnowing down a crowded race to succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has held the position since 2019.

Since 2011, California has had a “jungle primary” system that allows voters to choose any one candidate for statewide offices, like the governor’s seat, regardless of their party—a method that sometimes yields runoffs of two Democrats or two Republicans. Out of the 62 names on the ballot, Becerra, the former state Attorney General and Health and Human Services Secretary under Biden, and Trump-endorsed Republican and former Fox News host Steve Hilton were the top two vote-getters, receiving 27.9 and 25 percent of the vote, respectively, as of Tuesday night. Tom Steyer, a billionaire businessman, climate activist, and 2020 Democratic presidential contender, placed third, with 22.5 percent.

The lead-up to the primary election was marked by the dropping out of then-frontrunner Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell in April, who subsequently resigned from Congress following sexual assault allegations first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. With no clear runner-up on the Democratic side, some worried that votes would be split among the handful of leading Democrats on the ballot, potentially resulting in Republicans taking the top two spots. (A Republican hasn’t won a race for California governor since moderate former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was reelected in 2006.)

With the field wide open, wealthy donors, special interest groups, and large corporations spent a record-breaking amount of money trying to influence the outcome of the primary. After Swalwell dropped out of the race, most of his supporters seemingly consolidated behind Beccerra, the favorite of the state Democratic establishment. Becerra also received significant backing from oil and gas companies, which spent millions of dollars in support of him and against his Democratic rival. Steyer, the former hedge fund manager, who has promised to divest from fossil fuels and vowed not to accept funding from the industry, contributed more than $200 million of his own money to his campaign.

The candidate with the second-most contributions was San Jose’s first-term mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat representing a key tech stronghold who entered the race late with support from Silicon Valley. Although venture capitalists and executives from Big Tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Palantir donated tens of millions to his campaign, Mahan received less than 4 percent of the vote—behind the roughly 10 percent won by Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who seized more than half a million ballots in last year’s special election in an alleged investigation into ballot count discrepancies, and former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who received slightly more than 4 percent. While Porter, the only woman among the top six candidates, was well-known for flipping a Republican-held House seat in 2018 and grilling CEOs during congressional hearings, her campaign suffered after a series of viral setbacks. 

Now, Becerra and Hilton will face off to become the next governor of the Golden State—although any path to the governorship will likely be a struggle for Hilton, given Trump’s unpopularity in the state.

Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology this week explores discipline, beauty, renewal, improvisation and self-trust, urging each sign to embrace process over perfection and rediscover the gifts waiting to be expressed.

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Two members of Congress have sent a letter to US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz calling on the agency to justify its actions following an investigation by Mother Jones that found glyphosate—the controversial key ingredient in the herbicide Roundup—was being sprayed in record amounts on public lands. 

“Given the recent scientific disputes, retracted studies, and litigation surrounding glyphosate due to serious ecological and health harms, we are deeply concerned by the alleged use of the herbicide and lack of information available regarding current and planned use,” wrote Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). 

Rep. Chellie Pingree: “It’s bullshit. I’m really mad.”

While glyphosate is more well-known for its use in agriculture, its fastest-growing use in California—where our investigation analyzed more than 5 million state pesticide records—is on forestlands. Private timber companies and the Forest Service have been dousing hundreds of thousands of acres of the state’s forests in the herbicide, especially areas affected by wildfires.

Local communities have struggled to understand where the agency is spraying. In one case, the Forest Service published maps showing where it had sprayed glyphosate in the Lake Tahoe area, including at the ski resort Sierra-at-Tahoe, a full year after the work was done. 

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“It’s bullshit. I’m really mad,” Congresswoman Pingree told me when asked about the Forest Service spraying in environmentally sensitive areas.

The lawmakers’ letter calls on the Forest Service to publish a database showing its herbicide use across the country, and to report what safety measures it has put in place—such as monitoring waterways and soils for contamination—following its use of Roundup and other glyphosate-based products.

They also wondered about potential harms to humans: “Have there been any reported worker illness incidents, accidental exposures, or contamination complaints associated with glyphosate applications?” the letter asks.

Workers contracted to spray Roundup on US Forest Service Land in 2021 not wearing required protective gear and exposed to an herbicide that the World Health Organization determined is a probable carcinogen. Photo credit: El Dorado County

Our investigation found that workers hired to spray Roundup on the El Dorado National Forest in 2021 were covered in Roundup, including directly on exposed skin, and that they were not wearing the required protective equipment nor did they have the state-required training, according to a report by a county inspector.

Bayer, the German company that manufactures Roundup, provided a statement that “regulators, including the EPA, EU, and others around the world, have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based products—which are the most widely used and extensively studied products of their kind—can be used safely according to the product label directions.”

Glyphosate is at the center of several legal, scientific, and political controversies. Bayer is on the hook for more than $12 billion in legal payouts to people who say exposure to the chemical made them sick. The World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen in 2015, and the Environmental Protection Agency says the herbicide likely harms 93 percent of endangered species. The EPA last approved the chemical’s safety in 1993. A more recent review in 2020 that found it was safe was overturned two years later by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined the agency had not fully assessed the risks to human health or the environment. 

The Forest Service says it is using the chemical at record levels in California because it is the least expensive way to help conifer trees—the ones with pine needles—grow back after wildfires. The often stated goal of these Forest Service herbicide projects is to regrow trees more expeditiously. This helps the agency meet its desired forest density for future timber sales, according to hundreds of pages of Forest Service documents reviewed in our investigation. (The agency is part of the US Department of Agriculture and manages many of the nation’s public forests, similar to how a farmer oversees rows of corn: optimizing the land for higher yields, lower costs, and greater revenue.)

In 2025, President Trump issued an executive order for the Forest Service to increase timber sales by 25 percent, while the administration simultaneously cut the agency’s budget. In 2026, Trump called for an increase in the domestic production of glyphosate.

Spraying glyphosate and other herbicides both before and after replanting conifer trees results in the death of all other plants that reemerge after fires. 

In their letter to the Forest Service, Reps. Pingree and Huffman urged the agency to consider “safer or more sustainable approaches to forest management.” With such indiscriminate spraying of glyphosate,“you’re talking about just wiping out all biology, you know, just like all life forms. It’s bonkers,” Pingree told Mother Jones. “If there’s one thing we learned from Rachel Carson [author of Silent Spring] in the sixties it’s that we have to look at the cumulative impact, both on humans, but also the species and the food chain, and the loss of diversity.”

Instead of spending a year raising a formal venture fund, the Sabertooth VC founder used a captive network of LPs to invest startups like Anthropic, Anduril, and SpaceX.