Becerra and Hilton Speak at Latino Officials Conference in Los Angeles

Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton delivered separate speeches at the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on July 15. Becerra spoke for 10 minutes and Hilton for about five minutes.

Becerra, who placed first in the June 2 primary with 28 percent of the vote, tied his Republican rival to President Trump without naming either directly. “We don’t need people who make a promise to end a war in one day, and today, we still fight it and others,” Becerra said. ” Hilton, who finished second in the primary with 24.6 percent, acknowledged his endorsement by President Trump.

He described his parents’ move from Hungary to Britain and his own arrival in California in 2012. Hilton said he attended the University of Oxford and served as a senior advisor to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron before running restaurants in the state.

Hilton said the restaurant business is especially difficult for small business owners in California today. “I just want everyone to have a shot at climbing that ladder of opportunity,” he said. He did not respond to Becerra’s remarks.

Becerra told the audience that street tacos come from vendors on the street, not from established establishments. Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla also spoke at the conference. Becerra closed by noting the cost of certain policies.

Republicans make up one quarter of registered voters in California.