Xavier Becerra advances in California governor race to replace Newsom...

Xavier Becerra will advance to the general election in California’s gubernatorial race. The Democrat emerged as a front-runner on Friday, three days after Tuesday’s primary in a crowded field of around 60 candidates remained too close to call. Becerra previously served as the Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, was California attorney general from 2017 to 2021 and was a member of Congress for more than 20 years. He made a late-in-the-race surge in polling at 25% in late May, after coming in at 5% in early March. The race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom became wide open after former Vice President and California Sen. Kamala Harris and the state’s senior senator, Alex Padilla, chose not to run. The race was further shaken when some candidates who were gaining popularity became embroiled in scandals. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, viewed as a potential front-runner, dropped out after facing sexual misconduct allegations, while former Rep. Katie Porter came under scrutiny over allegations that she bullied staffers. The candidate to challenge Becerra in the general election has yet to be determined. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Democrat billionaire Tom Steyer are vying for the second spot in the tight race as election officials continue to count ballots. Steyer is a billionaire and hedge fund investor who launched a Democratic bid for presidency in 2020, branding himself as a progressive climate activist. British-born Hilton is a registered Republican who received backing from President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post earlier Tuesday, Trump wrote that Hilton “will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!), and we will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN.” California has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was first elected in 2003. The next governor of California will inherit a range of challenges, including an unstable state budget, an affordability crisis and the fallout from ongoing clashes with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.