California’s closely watched gubernatorial primary remains too close to call as vote counting continues, with state officials still processing outstanding ballots. Multiple outlets report that Republican Steve Hilton, a British-born television personality, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. health and human services secretary, are leading the race for the nomination. Early results and projections from outlets cite Hilton as narrowly ahead or close to Becerra in vote share as more ballots are counted. A Decision Desk HQ projection cited by The Hill also indicates both are on track to advance to the November general election. The top two vote-getters in California’s primary advance, rather than a winner taking all.
Several sources also describe Tom Steyer, another Democrat, as trailing the leading pair and seeking to catch up as additional votes are counted. Experts quoted by The Guardian warn that primary vote processing could take days, and potentially longer depending on how many ballots remain uncounted. Overall, the reporting converges on a narrow lead for Hilton, a close second-place position for Becerra, and continued uncertainty until remaining ballots are fully counted.
