Republican Steve Hilton Leads California Governor Primary by 1 Point With Half of Ballots Still Uncounted

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</p><p>With many ballots still left to be counted, three candidates emerged at the top: the Republican Steve Hilton and the Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer.

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[@NBCNews] Republican Steve Hilton Leads California Governor Primary by 1 Point With Half of Ballots Still Uncounted Vote counting in California's gubernatorial primary remained incomplete early Wednesday morning, with half the expected ballots still outstanding, NBC News' Decision Desk reported.

Steve Hilton held 27 percent, Xavier Becerra held 26 percent, and Tom Steyer held 20 percent. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco trailed in fourth place with 11 percent.

California's rules place all candidates on a single primary ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election regardless of party. The state's extended counting timeline makes it difficult to project which two candidates will move forward. ” Xavier Becerra described his campaign as an “underdog story” that stayed in the race.

Steve Hilton, a Republican, and Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, led in election night returns, according to The New York Times. Tom Steyer urged patience as more votes were counted. Fox News reported that Hilton and Becerra remained in position to claim the two spots on the November ballot.

The gubernatorial race stayed too close to call on Tuesday night, The Guardian reported. Early results showed a tight contest in the crowded field, with many ballots still left to be counted.

Two Democratic candidates conceded shortly after polls closed on June 2. San Jose mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stepped aside once results made clear they would not finish in the top two. Several other contests also remained unsettled.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Karen Bass led with 37 percent, followed by Spencer Pratt at 29 percent and Nithya Raman at 21 percent. Multiple congressional districts, including the 22nd and 6th, lacked final results as of early June 3.