LOS ANGELES — California's closely watched primary race for attorney general faded into a standard partisan contest Tuesday, giving the Democratic incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta an easy victory for the top spot on the Nov. 8 ballot to likely face one of two Republicans instead of a high-profile independent prosecutor.
Bonta easily led the field of five candidates in early returns after polls closed in California. A former state lawmaker whom Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed to the post last year, Bonta has been heavily criticized by his opponents for his left-leaning legislative record and his support for criminal justice reform laws that aim to cut California's prison population through an expansion of rehabilitative programs.
Despite those efforts, Bonta was expected to easily advance out of the state's top-two primary, given his party's voter registration advantage and the more than $5 million he's raised for his campaign.
