Hilton and Becerra make final campaign pushes in California governor race
With the California governor election days away, Republican Steve Hilton campaigned across the state while Democrat Xavier Becerra, who leads in polls, held fewer public events. A Public Policy Institute of California poll gave Becerra a 24-point lead.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra made last pitches to California voters in the final days of the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. New York PostR “California governor candidates Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra criscrossed the state Tuesday, making their last-minute pleas to voters” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1On Tuesday, Hilton held a press conference in Newport Beach criticising the state's "Broadband-for-All" program, which was launched in 2021 with $3.25 billion in federal Covid relief; his campaign says it has produced only one completed project. New York PostR “Hilton claims the costly program has connected just one community education center five years after it launched” Read at New York Post ↗ New York PostR “has thus far produced only one completed project, according to his campaign” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, also promoted his "Operation Zero Waste" plan, which would cancel the high-speed rail project, cut executive-branch headcount by 10%, reform Medi-Cal and cap per-unit costs for affordable housing. New York PostR “which seeks to cancel California’s troubled high-speed rail project, reduce headcount in the executive branch by 10%, reform Medi-Cal” Read at New York Post ↗ New York PostR “Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1Becerra, a former Health and Human Services secretary, had four events on Tuesday in San Francisco and Oakland, including an appearance against Proposition 39, a voter ID measure that appears to be trailing in polls, according to the New York Post. New York PostR “urging voters to reject the voter ID proposal, which appears to be trailing in polls” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1On Wednesday Hilton held a press conference in fire-damaged Altadena with the nonprofit HPP Cares and planned a rally in Van Nuys with Democratic and Independent supporters; the New York Post reported that Becerra had no public events that day. New York PostR “holding a press conference in fire-ravaged Altadena alongside HPP Cares”“Becerra had no public events Wednesday.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1A Public Policy Institute of California poll of 1,068 likely voters, conducted Oct. 16-22, had Becerra at 61% and Hilton at 37%, up from a 60%-38% lead in September; about 90% of both Republicans and Democrats backed their own party's candidate, and independents favoured Becerra 54% to 41%. New York PostR “The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California has Becerra, with 61% of likely voters, dominating Hilton, at 37%, by a 24-point margin.”“Independent voters break in favor of Becerra by a 54% to 41% margin.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1A poll commissioned by The California Post had Becerra ahead 55% to 39.3%, with 56% of voters saying California is on the wrong track and affordability the top concern. New York PostR “at 55% to 39.3% and 4.9% undecided, in a poll commissioned by The California Post”“with 56% of voters saying the Golden State is on the wrong track in the poll” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Pollster John McLaughlin and analyst Dan Schnur attributed Becerra's lead to partisanship and to voters not seeing Republicans as a viable alternative, and the coverage notes that many voters ranked opposing the Trump administration's policies just behind cost of living. New York PostR ““Here in California, voters simply don’t see an alternative, so they grudgingly stick with what they’ve got.””“many voters named fighting the Trump administration’s policies as their highest concern, second only to the state’s notorious high cost of living” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Becerra has attacked Hilton's Trump endorsement and cast himself as a fighter against the federal administration, while Hilton portrays Becerra as the embodiment of a failed California status quo. New York PostR “has attacked Hilton’s endorsement by President Donald Trump and characterized himself as a fighter against the federal administration” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1In an editorial carried by Fox News, the California Post endorsed Hilton, praising his plans for no state income tax on income up to $150,000 and lower gas taxes, and calling Becerra an "empty suit" who has "failed upwards". Fox NewsR “The California Post endorses Steve Hilton for governor.”“Becerra is simply an empty suit. He has failed upwards his entire political career.” Read at Fox News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets are part of the same media family (New York Post and its California Post, carried by Fox News). News reports cover the final days as a trailing Republican campaigning energetically against a front-runner who keeps a low profile, while documenting Becerra's wide poll lead. The Fox News piece is an endorsement editorial for Hilton.
- Emphasis
- Hilton's events and waste allegations, Becerra's sparse public schedule, and poll numbers explaining why a Republican is unlikely to win; the editorial stresses affordability, homelessness, wildfires and one-party rule.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Little of Becerra's own policy platform or his account of his record appears; the editorial does not mention the polls showing Hilton far behind. Hilton's claims about broadband are relayed from his campaign without independent verification.
- Charged language
- “storms Southern California”“lays low”“establishment hack”“empty suit”“one-party misrule”“Astonishing poll”
- For example
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“Steve Hilton storms Southern California as Xavier Becerra lays low in campaign final days” — New York Post
“Vote Hilton for California governor over establishment hack Becerra for real change” — Fox News
“Astonishing poll shows California candidate breaking away with just days to go” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Becerra leads Hilton by a wide margin in recent polls.
- Hilton is a Republican endorsed by Trump; Becerra is a Democrat and former Biden HHS secretary.
- The election is days away.
Steve Hilton person
Presents himself as the change candidate, campaigning on waste and fraud, tax and gas-price cuts, and ending 16 years of one-party Democratic rule.
“arguing that 16 years of one-party rule in California have only spiked costs for average residents” — New York Post
“part of what he’s called a pattern of waste and fraud in the state” — New York Post
Xavier Becerra person
Casts himself as a fighter against the Trump administration and opposes the Prop. 39 voter ID measure; he is reported to have kept a lower public profile.
“characterized himself as a fighter against the federal administration” — New York Post
“Becerra, who’s been criticized for keeping a low profile on the campaign trail” — New York Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right4 articles
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Neutral Dual-candidate roundup of the final days, noting Hilton trails and Becerra has been criticised for a low profile.
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Astonishing poll shows California candidate breaking away with just days to go
Mixed Poll story presenting Becerra's lead as decisive, with expert explanations for why a Republican struggles in California.
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Steve Hilton storms Southern California as Xavier Becerra lays low in campaign final days
Mixed Contrasts Hilton's energetic Southern California tour with Becerra's absence from public events.
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Fox NewsR · · Opinion
Critical Opinion editorial endorsing Hilton and portraying Becerra as an ineffective career politician and Democrats as responsible for California's decline.
- 27 Oct 22:21 First New York PostR Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra make last-minute pitches to California voters as gov contest enters home stretch
- 28 Oct 16:52 +18h 32m New York PostR Astonishing poll shows California candidate breaking away with just days to go
- 28 Oct 23:54 +25h 33m New York PostR Steve Hilton storms Southern California as Xavier Becerra lays low in campaign final days
- 29 Oct 13:14 +38h 53m Fox NewsR CA POST EDITORIAL BOARD: Vote Hilton for California governor over establishment hack Becerra for real change Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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