Democrat Xavier Becerra was the top vote getter in California's gubernatorial primary. With 91 percent of the vote counted, Becerra sits in first place with 27.9 percent of the vote, while Republican Steve Hilton finished second with 25 percent of the vote. The two will face off in the general election.
California has a jungle primary, which means the top two vote getters face off in the general election regardless of political party. For a time earlier this year, Democrats worried that Hilton and fellow Republican Chad Bianco could finish first and second against a crowded Democratic field that did not have a clear frontrunner.
Former California Congressman Eric Swalwell had been leading the polls, but his campaign was rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct earlier this year. He ended dropping out of the race in April and announced his resignation from Congress.
Axios reported that there were 61 candidates, including several high-profile Democrats. That crowded field and the implosion of Swalwell's campaign created more anxiety than is typical for Democrats in a state where they greatly outnumber Republicans.
"The fact that there aren't any rising stars is indicative of a party that has not had for a generation competitive disagreements and healthy dialogue about who it is, and so that's atrophied," strategist Mike Madrid told Axios in April.
Ultimately, support coalesced around former Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra. Hilton is a British-born former political adviser and Fox News contributor.
NBC News projected that billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer would finish in third with about 22.5 percent of the vote. Bianco ended up fourth with around 10 percent. No other candidate was breaking triple digits.
Becerra and Hilton will now face off in November to determine who will replace Gavin Newsom, who could not run again due to term limits.
