California governor primary live results: Becerra, Steyer and Hilton …

California governor primary live results: Becerra, Steyer and Hilton lead in three-way contest

California voters are casting ballots Tuesday to choose the next governor of America’s most populous state. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to a November general election to replace the term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Multiple polls found the crowded race has narrowed to a three-way contest between Democrats Xavier Becerra, a former health secretary and state attorney general, and Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate activist, and Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host.

With its lack of cinematic or political stars, California’s gubernatorial race differed from some prior contests. A mid-April scandal upended the race, essentially allowing candidates to restart their campaigns. Still, Tuesday’s primary could bring unexpected results because more voters than usual held on to their ballots until the final stretch. Polls will close at 8 p.m. local time, but California has taken days, sometimes weeks, to tally enough votes to project winners.

Democratic politics have dominated California for decades. More recently, the state has led Democrats’ efforts to oppose Trump administration policies, including on redistricting and immigration enforcement. California’s next governor will also be tasked with addressing issues including homelessness, environmental threats such as droughts and wildfires, and affordable housing.

Because so many Democrats ran to succeed Newsom without a clear frontrunner, some Democrats worried that they would split the vote and two Republican candidates would advance to November’s election. The odds of such an outcome decreased significantly in recent weeks.

Former congressman Eric Swalwell, who at one point was the Democratic frontrunner, still appeared among 61 candidates on the ballot, though he dropped out of the race after allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. After Swalwell’s mid-April exit, the other Democratic contenders sought to attract his supporters and pull ahead in the race. At the time, political strategists expected Steyer and former congresswoman Katie Porter would benefit the most.

Becerra instead saw a sudden rise in support. For months, he had been trailing in polls and few observers viewed him as a leading candidate. After Swalwell’s departure, many voters coalesced behind Becerra, increasing the likelihood that at least one Democratic candidate would reach the gubernatorial general election. The state has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 reelection.

Of all the candidates, Becerra has the most extensive political resume, having served in Congress for more than two decades before Newsom appointed him as the state’s attorney general and President Joe Biden selected him to be health secretary.

Steyer positioned himself as the most progressive candidate, with stances on immigration and health care that went further left than Becerra and the other Democrats. However, this message coming from a candidate who has poured more than $200 million of his own money into his campaign has drawn skepticism from some voters concerned about large self-funded campaigns. Still, Steyer’s platform and advertising placed him in the top tier of candidates, possibly setting up a Democrat versus Democrat matchup in the general election.

Hilton has consolidated Republican support in the race, aided by a Trump endorsement in April. He has urged voters to choose him over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a favorite of some conservative activists, to prevent Republicans from being shut out of the general election. If Hilton advances to November alongside a Democrat, he faces difficult odds in a state that has consistently supported Democratic candidates in recent statewide elections. GOP strategists view Hilton’s performance as an indicator of voter sentiment toward the Democratic Party.