Steve Hilton, a Republican, still leads Tom Steyer, a Democrat, for the second spot in the general election.
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Former health secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who pulled off a stunning rise late in the California governor’s race, will advance to the general election, the Associated Press projected Friday.
It’s unclear who will meet Becerra on the November ballot. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer are in the best position to advance, but it could take days or longer before the race is called as the state keeps tallying mailed ballots that were postmarked by the Tuesday primary.
In California primaries, all candidates run on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters go to the general election.
This year’s race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) featured a massive group of candidates, leading both Democrats and Republicans to worry their party would be locked out of the general election because votes would be split many ways.
The crowded field made it harder for the gubernatorial candidates to distinguish themselves. Beyond that, they lacked the political or movie-screen stardom that go a long way in building name recognition in the most populous state with nearly 40 million residents.
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In April, the Democratic candidates got an unexpected chance to reset when former congressman Eric Swalwell, who had started to pull ahead in the race, dropped out after allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
Becerra’s campaign arguably benefited the most from the frenzy.
After lackluster polling and little attention to his campaign, Becerra began an unexpected ascent to become the Democratic front-runner. The former longtime California congressman was seen by voters as a stable pick with a deep political résumé. If elected, Becerra would become the first Latino governor in modern history in a 41 percent Latino state.
With his primary win, Becerra surmounted criticism that he was an unexciting candidate too aligned with establishment Democrats. But his allies said him being boring was an asset, making him a reliable choice for voters in an increasingly chaotic primary.
Becerra, who focused his campaign on addressing California’s economic struggles, is more moderate than his closest Democratic rival, Steyer, who spent more than $200 million of his own money on a populist campaign calling for universal health care and raising taxes on billionaires.
Other prominent Democratic candidates including former congresswoman Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa trailed far behind the rest of the pack.
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