Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, is projected to advance to the general election for California governor. Becerra, who previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, is vying to become California's first elected Latino governor. The primary election results show Becerra leading with 26% of the vote, closely followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 27%. Democrat Tom Steyer trails in third place with 20% of the vote.
The race to replace current Governor Gavin Newsom, who is ineligible to run again due to term limits, remains competitive. Vote counting will continue for several days as California law allows mail-in ballots postmarked by election day to be counted if received within seven days.
In other races, incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the November run-off, facing either Spencer Pratt or Nithya Raman. Bass received 36.5% of the vote, while Pratt and Raman are in a close contest for the second spot.
The slow vote count has drawn criticism, particularly from Hilton, who has called for faster results. However, California's election officials emphasize the importance of accuracy over speed in the vote-counting process.
As the results continue to be tallied, candidates and voters alike await the final outcomes that will shape the November general election.