Xavier Becerra, the Democratic former health and human services secretary, was elected governor of California marking the historic ascension of a longtime public servant who has vowed to resist Donald Trump's agenda for the final two years of his presidency.

Becerra, 68, is the son of Mexican immigrants and will become California's first Latino governor since 1875, a milestone in a state where more than 40% of residents are Latino and nearly one in two children has an immigrant parent. Becerra was the overwhelming favorite to defeat Steve Hilton, the Republican endorsed by Trump.

California's next governor will inherit the world's fourth largest economy and America's largest state, a Democratic stronghold that has served as a bastion of liberal resistance since Trump was first elected in 2016. The majority of its residents are deeply dissatisfied with the Trump administration, amid immigration raids and policy threats that have targeted the state's environmental policies and university system.

The incoming administration will face the daunting task of addressing the many issues that bedeviled the last: high cost of living, a housing shortage, homelessness, rising insurance premiums, wildfire risk and widening wealth inequality in a state that relies on – yet increasingly reviles – its billionaires.

The race to succeed Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and openly weighing a presidential run, began as one of the most unpredictable gubernatorial contests in recent California history, with no clear frontrunner and many twists. By its closing stretch, however, the contest had mostly settled into a sleepy affair.

Becerra centered his campaign around the idea of restoring the "California Dream", focusing on affordability issues such as making healthcare universally accessible. He also promised to stand up to the president, repeatedly reminding voters that he had sued the Trump administration 122 times as California attorney general during Trump's first term.

The British-born Hilton blamed the state's woes on Democratic governance in Sacramento, which he said resulted in excessive regulation, high taxes and an unaffordable state. He promised a platform of tax cuts, cheaper fuel and smaller government.

The path to November was hardly straightforward for Becerra, a former congressman, attorney general and Biden cabinet secretary. For much of the race, Becerra languished in the low-single digits, struggling to break out of a crowded field, which, under California's open primary system, rewards the top two vote-winners regardless of party.

His prospects were deemed so dim, he was among the contenders party officials encouraged to exit the race so as to not inadvertently split the vote and allow for a "Republican lockout" in the general election. But when former congressman Eric Swalwell's campaign collapsed amid sexual assault allegations, Becerra's fortunes began to change. He edged past the billionaire progressive Tom Steyer and secured the top spot, alongside Hilton, on the November general election ballot.

How to regulate artificial intelligence, a major engine of California's economy, looms large for the next governor. Silicon Valley's technology companies and investors have increasingly challenged Sacramento's regulatory ambitions, particularly around AI safety, labor protections and datacenter construction.