According to CalMatters Housing, the two main candidates in the upcoming California governor's race, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra, have starkly different approaches to managing the state's water challenges. The state faces serious pressures from climate change creating extreme swings between drought and heavy rainfall, while also dealing with groundwater depletion in agricultural areas, sinking land, threats to the fishing industry, and hundreds of thousands of Californians without access to safe, affordable water.
Hilton has laid out a detailed water strategy that emphasizes building more infrastructure to capture, store, and distribute water throughout the state. His plan, developed with a policy think tank researcher, estimates that achieving water abundance could cost around $150 billion if paired with regulatory reforms. According to CalMatters Housing, Hilton backs expanding projects like the Sites Reservoir in Northern California and supports raising the Shasta Dam, both long championed by agricultural interests. He also wants to reduce environmental regulations that he believes get in the way of water management, though he acknowledges the importance of the salmon industry.
Becerra, by contrast, has offered no specific water proposals or detailed plans despite repeated requests from CalMatters Housing. His campaign responded only with general language about bringing stakeholders together and ensuring safe, affordable water for all Californians. According to a water consultant quoted by CalMatters Housing, Becerra may be avoiding detailed commitments because any specific proposal risks drawing criticism from various interest groups.
The contrast reflects a fundamental difference in governing philosophy. Hilton believes California's water problems stem from bad policy and mismanagement rather than actual scarcity, and he's willing to push forward with major construction projects. Becerra's cautious approach stands in contrast to polling data showing that strong majorities across party lines support candidates who prioritize water reliability and affordability.
What I am seeing locally here in the Bay Area and throughout the East Bay is that water policy is becoming a defining election issue for our region. As a real estate professional, I know that property values and development potential are directly tied to water security and infrastructure decisions made at the state level. Families and businesses looking to invest here are increasingly asking about long-term water reliability, and those questions don't have easy answers right now. Whoever wins this race will shape whether our region sees continued growth or faces constraints from water limitations.
