The California governor's race remains up in the air a day after the primary vote, with British-American former TV host Steve Hilton and onetime Biden cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra at the top of a crowded field.
The contest could take several days to decide due to the volume of postal ballots cast on Tuesday to pick the top two candidates for November's general election.
Becerra, a Democrat, has vowed to oppose President Donald Trump. Hilton is a Republican endorsed by Trump.
Another Democrat, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, was in third place as counting continued. Current Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is not running for re-election due to term limits.
Becerra, who was health secretary under President Joe Biden, has promised he will freeze insurance and utility rates.
Hilton, who was once a top adviser to ex‑UK Prime Minister David Cameron before going on to host his own show on Fox News, has pledged to make the state affordable by cutting taxes and regulations.
The governor's race ought to have been straightforward for Democrats, but it descended into disarray. A large field of Democrats jumped in due to the lack of a star politician who could have dominated the election. It became the most expensive California gubernatorial race on record, with immense ad spending by Steyer and Silicon Valley support for another Democratic candidate, San Jose mayor Matt Mahan.
The contest was shaken up after one of the leading candidates, Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell, dropped out and resigned from Congress in April amid allegations of sexual assault, which he denied.
Of particular note is California's jungle primary system, which picks the two contenders with the most votes, regardless of political party. With the state’s heavily liberal electorate and its vibrant political concerns—from immigration and climate policy to homelessness and housing affordability—a vacancy at the top of the state equation has opened the floor to intrigue and opportunity.
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