Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are leading the California governor primary election with nearly fifty percent of votes counted. Hilton holds twenty-seven percent of the vote while Becerra is close behind at twenty-six percent. Under California's jungle primary system, the top two vote-getters regardless of party will advance to the November general election.
Democrat Tom Steyer sits in third place with twenty percent of the vote, a position that would leave the billionaire and climate activist short of advancing to the general election. Republican Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, is in fourth with eleven percent.
The race to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom has drawn a large and diverse field of candidates. The early evening saw notable developments as former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan both dropped out of the race as initial results were announced.
Steve Hilton, a Trump-endorsed commentator and former Fox News personality, emerged as the Republican frontrunner in a state that has historically favoured Democratic candidates. His strong showing suggests significant Republican enthusiasm in the primary and sets up a potentially competitive general election.
Xavier Becerra brings extensive government experience to the race, having served as California Attorney General, as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden, and as a member of Congress representing California for over two decades. His deep roots in California politics position him as the establishment Democratic choice.
In the Los Angeles mayoral race being held alongside the governor primary, incumbent Karen Bass is leading the vote count and has already addressed supporters in a celebratory tone at her watch party in Koreatown. Bass faces challenges from council member Nithya Raman and former reality television personality Spencer Pratt.
Vote counting in California is expected to continue for several days due to the state's extensive mail-in voting system. Final certified results may take weeks to confirm, though the broad outlines of the top two finishers in both the governor and mayoral races are becoming clear as early returns are tabulated across the state.