Republican Steve Hilton has advanced to the November general election in California’s race for governor after securing second place in the primary, according to NBC News. With nearly 90 percent of ballots counted, Democrat Xavier Becerra led the field with 28 percent of the vote, while Hilton followed closely with 25 percent.
Hilton’s second-place finish allows him to move on to a head-to-head contest against Becerra in November. He narrowly outperformed fellow Democratic candidate Tom Steyer, who finished third with just over 22 percent of the vote and was eliminated from the race.
The results highlight a competitive primary contest, with the top three candidates separated by only a few percentage points. As vote counting continues, the standings could shift slightly, but the projected outcome indicates that Becerra and Hilton will be the two candidates appearing on the general election ballot. The November election is expected to draw significant attention as voters decide California’s next governor.
