Xavier Becerra was elected governor of California on Tuesday, defeating Republican Steve Hilton to succeed Gavin Newsom. Early returns also showed voters rejecting a proposed one-time tax on billionaires' wealth.

Major news organisations projected Becerra's victory shortly after polls closed on the West Coast. His lead reflected California's heavy Democratic voter registration advantage.

Becerra, a former US health and human services secretary and state attorney general, ran on a promise to steady the state's finances and expand housing construction. Hilton, a former Fox News host and adviser to David Cameron, campaigned on the cost of living, petrol prices and crime. He sought to turn voter frustration with one-party rule in Sacramento into a rare Republican statewide win.

The billionaire tax initiative, backed by the healthcare union SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, would have imposed a one-time levy on the fortunes of California's wealthiest residents to fund healthcare. Newsom opposed the measure, warning it could push wealthy taxpayers and their businesses out of the state. Technology investors and real estate groups spent heavily against it in the closing weeks.

The results gave Democrats continued control of the state's top office as the party contested House seats across California's Central Valley and Orange County. Officials at the California Secretary of State's office said millions of mail-in ballots remained uncounted. Final tallies in closer races and ballot measures could take days or weeks to confirm.

Becerra's victory sets up a transition in January, when Newsom leaves office after two terms amid widespread speculation about a 2028 presidential bid. The incoming governor will inherit a projected budget shortfall and strained relations with the Trump administration over federal funding, immigration enforcement and disaster aid.