Political ads · 2026 · CA

California Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Xavier Becerra (Democrat) and Steve Hilton (Republican) are the candidates for governor of California in the November 3, 2026 general election. Semblen has analyzed 21 ads in this race; 4 used at least one manipulation technique, most often bandwagon appeal and glittering generalities.

Xavier Becerra (DEM), Steve Hilton (REP). On the ballot as listed by California Secretary of State, Certified List of Candidates, Nov 3 2026 General. 21 ads analyzed, 4 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08. 18 ads from other advertisers shown separately below.

Findings

As of 2026-10-08. Counts are of distinct ads; the same text run many times is one ad.

Ads analyzed
21 (Meta 16, YouTube 5) · started running between 2026-07-12 and 2026-10-06
With at least one technique
4 of 21 (19%)
Most common techniques
Bandwagon Appeal · 2 adsGlittering Generalities · 2 adsAppeal to Fear · 1 ad
Meta
3 of 16 (19%) flagged · Bandwagon Appeal (2), Glittering Generalities (2), Appeal to Fear (1)
YouTube
1 of 5 flagged · Repetition (1)
Reported Meta spend
$600–6,045 on all ads, $0–1,485 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“Leaders and unions across California are uniting to vote No on Prop 40” — Bandwagon Appeal, paid for by No on Prop 40 - Doctors, Teachers, Small Businesses, Working Families and Public Safety Against the Reckless Wealth Tax Experiment. Ad committee’s top funders: California Primary Care Association Advocates & California Medical Association. · the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique

Embed this race on your site

A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.

Who is running these ads

By sponsor (9)
Paid for byAdsWith at least one techniqueMost common
SoCal Daily Pulse50 of 5
Steve Hilton51 of 5Repetition (1)
The Angeleno30 of 3
Legit Politic20 of 2
No on Prop 40 - Doctors, Teachers, Small Businesses, Working Families and Public Safety Against the Reckless Wealth Tax Experiment. Ad committee’s top funders: California Primary Care Association Advocates & California Medical Association.21 of 2Appeal to Fear (1), Bandwagon Appeal (1)
KQED10 of 1
REALPOLITICSCA11 of 1Bandwagon Appeal (1), Black-and-White Fallacy (1), Glittering Generalities (1)
RESCUE CALIFORNIA COALITION11 of 1Flag-Waving (1), Glittering Generalities (1), Slogans (1)
STEVE HILTON FOR GOVERNOR 202610 of 1

Decide what counts

Not everyone would call every technique manipulation. Untick the ones you'd call ordinary persuasion and the count updates.

19% of the 21 ads here use at least one of the techniques ticked below (4 ads).

Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 14% of ads.

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Money in this race

Candidates for governor report their fundraising to California's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.

The ads

21 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].

Showing the 2 ads paid for by Legit Politic. Show all 21 ads

Paid for by Legit Politicfrom 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–198200–1,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton challenged former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra over his handling of unaccompanied migrant children during an exchange about immigration enforcement. Hilton claimed 479,000 children were involved, hundreds of thousands remain missing and 100,000 were younger than 10. Becerra called the accusations “retread Trump talking points.” Those figures have not been established as confirmed facts. Federal watchdogs documented shortcomings in sponsor screening and follow-up, but did not conclude that every child affected by administrative failures was missing, trafficked or harmed. What do you make of the exchange? 👇 #Immigration #MigrantChildren #CaliforniaPolitics
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.

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Paid for by Legit Politicfrom 2026-08-02 to 2026-08-094 variantsspend $0–39616,000–19,996 impressions
Xavier Becerra says his experience makes him fit to lead the largest state in the union—but a whistleblower claims that experience at HHS endangered hundreds of thousands of migrant children. Allegations include abuse inside camps, rape victims silenced due to lack of confidentiality, and over 140,000 children still missing. “If these children were being harmed...they couldn’t say anything.”
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.

View in Meta's Ad Library ↗

Other advertisers

Paid posts that ran in CA and name a candidate, from advertisers that aren't part of this race: news-style pages, campaigns for other offices, and others. They're shown here for completeness and not counted with the ads above. We show the same technique analysis; their claims are not checked.

California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1987,000–8,998 impressions
Watch this fiery moment in tonights debate where Steve Hilton went straight after Xavier Becerra, confronting him over his alleged failure to account for hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children. Do you think this was a fair point made by Hilton?
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton clashed over Hilton’s proposal to eliminate state income tax on the first $150,000 of individual income. Becerra argued the broader plan would give the wealthiest Californians a 40% tax reduction. Hilton said tax relief would help working people and encourage job growth. His campaign estimates the proposal could reduce state revenue by up to $65 billion. What do you make of their competing tax approaches? #CaliforniaGovernor #CaliforniaTaxes #Election2026 👇
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
NEW: Steve Hilton greets his supporters after participating in the gubernatorial debate against Xavier Becerra.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 California gubernatorial nominees Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra clashed over reading instruction, school accountability and teacher pay during their sole scheduled general election debate. Hilton called for phonics-based instruction and greater accountability for teachers and schools. Becerra said Hilton was attacking teachers and argued they should be treated and paid as professionals. State data show 48.8% of tested students met or exceeded English standards in 2024-25, while 37.3% met or exceeded math standards. Both rates rose 1.8 percentage points from the prior year. What do you make of their approaches to improving California schools? #CaliforniaGovernor #CaliforniaEducation #CAASPP 👇
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
Hardworking Californians are getting crushed by the state’s sky-high taxes and cost of living — and Steve Hilton says enough is enough. Hilton is running on giving Californians relief, while arguing that Xavier Becerra represents the same Sacramento establishment that helped create the affordability crisis. California families are paying the price. Becerra said Hilton is misrepresenting what he said.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton said his proposed California income tax cut would be financed partly by ending state spending on the California High-Speed Rail project during a gubernatorial debate with Xavier Becerra. Hilton proposed eliminating state income tax on the first $150,000 of earnings and applying a flat rate above that threshold. Becerra argued the plan would disproportionately benefit wealthy residents and hurt funding for working families. What do you make of their exchange? 👇 #CaliforniaGovernor #HighSpeedRail #CaliforniaTaxes
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-082 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Steve Hilton proposed building 10 new California cities and capping government fees and regulatory costs on new homes at $50,000 during the gubernatorial debate with Xavier Becerra. The Republican nominee said those costs average $200,000 in California, a statewide figure not independently substantiated by the sources reviewed. Counties would bid to host the proposed communities. What do you make of this housing plan? #CaliforniaHousing #CaliforniaGovernor 👇
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called California’s 2026 governor’s race “over” in supplied footage, referring to Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra as “our governor” and mentioning Republican candidate Steve Hilton’s British accent. Becerra is not governor. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains in office, and voters will choose between Becerra and Hilton on November 3, 2026. #CaliforniaGovernor #Election2026 👇
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-29 to 2026-10-062 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
Steve Hilton said California's budget has roughly doubled in a decade while two million residents left the state. He pointed to the high-speed rail project's cost ballooning from a projected $30 billion to $230 billion, and said he'd cancel it on day one to fund a state income tax cut instead. Credit: Fox News
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-09 to 2026-09-15spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
One was a site supervisor. Contracted to move kids to sponsors on a short timeline. The other was intel. Watchlist work. Flags of sponsors came back with connections to MS-13, organized crime. Both are now whistleblowers who raised concerns about Xavier Becerra’s leadership of HHS in 2021-2024 and his handling of unaccompanied migrant kids. First full interview is up now on YouTube.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-03 to 2026-09-10spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
🚨FULL VIDEO OUT NOW🚨 Tarek Kadourah (@joey.nobody) contracted with DHS from 2020 to 2024, first in Enforcement and Removal Operations, then in intel. He says he was the first to interview "the worst of the worst" once they crossed and got picked up, and that the job wasn't only catching criminals. It was also "catching the bad guys wearing badges." By the end, he was the one blowing the whistle. He's the former site supervisor who says Xavier Becerra "definitely knew" about the 1,500+ kids moved out of San Diego in three months. Becerra is now running for California governor. Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-09-03 to 2026-09-11spend $0–991,000–1,999 impressions
🚨FULL VIDEO OUT NOW🚨 Tarek Kadourah (joey.nobody) contracted with DHS from 2020 to 2024, first in Enforcement and Removal Operations, then in intel. He says he was the first to interview "the worst of the worst" once they crossed and got picked up, and that the job wasn't only catching criminals. It was also "catching the bad guys wearing badges." By the end, he was the one blowing the whistle. He's the former site supervisor who says Xavier Becerra "definitely knew" about the 1,500+ kids moved out of San Diego in three months. Becerra is now running for California governor. Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.
no techniques found

View in Meta's Ad Library ↗

California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-17 to 2026-08-242 variantsspend $0–1983,000–4,998 impressions
Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra says he will "fight to get our money from the federal government" for high speed rail.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-17 to 2026-08-242 variantsspend $0–1983,000–4,998 impressions
NEW: Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra came out with a new campaign promise, if elected he says he will make electricity free for two hours a day, though that would come with a higher energy cost the other 22 hours. Would you take this deal?
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-14 to 2026-08-21spend $0–993,000–3,999 impressions
BREAKING: Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is facing new scrutiny after whistleblowers alleged that his department rushed unaccompanied migrant children out of federal custody without adequate sponsor vetting. The claims raise questions about Becerra’s leadership, HHS oversight and what happened to thousands of children the government later struggled to contact. Read the full story here.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-182 variantsspend $0–1986,000–7,998 impressions
🚨 Xavier Becerra told reporters he'll do "lots of debates" against Republican gubernatorial challenger Steve Hilton — then got into his car and drove away without answering further questions. #CaliforniaGovernor #Becerra #SteveHilton #CA2026 #CaliforniaPolitics #Breaking
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-128 variantsspend $0–79238,000–45,992 impressions
Whistleblower: migrant children fast-tracked with reduced vetting under Xavier Becerra—ending up in dangerous situations, from exploitative labor to alleged trafficking networks. “We were constantly getting false information... and told to accept it.” Reports claim thousands of cases lacked real verification, with many children still unaccounted for. Follow for more Becerra tapes.
no techniques found

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California Courier: news-style page

Paid for by California Courierfrom 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-123 variantsspend $0–29716,000–18,997 impressions
BREAKING: Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra is facing new scrutiny after whistleblowers alleged that his department rushed unaccompanied migrant children out of federal custody without adequate sponsor vetting. The claims raise questions about Becerra’s leadership, HHS oversight and what happened to thousands of children the government later struggled to contact. Read the full story at our link in bio.
no techniques found

View in Meta's Ad Library ↗

What this page is

  • An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in CA and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names CA's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
  • The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
  • Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
  • A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
  • Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
  • Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
  • Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.

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