Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton Lead in Early Returns for California Governor

Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton are leading the race for California governor in early returns, as they seek to advance to a November runoff, while Tom Steyer trailed in third place.

It may take days before the top two finishers in the primary are known.

Becerra, a former health secretary in the Biden administration, had led in several of the most recent polls, but Hilton, a Republican Fox News contributor, could also take the top spot. Steyer, a hedge fund billionaire, has hoped to benefit from Democrats voting strategically to prevent a Republican from making it to the runoff.

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Speaking to supporters in San Francisco, Steyer urged them to sit tight as the votes are counted.

“We’ve done the hard work; we did it together,” he said. “Now we just have to be patient.”

With just over half of the state’s precincts reporting partial returns, Hilton led with 26.6% of the vote, while Becerra held 25.9%. Steyer was at 19.7%.

Taking the stage around 10:30 p.m., Becerra noted that he had been an underdog until recently — but had “stayed in the fight.”

“I take nothing for granted,” Becerra said. “It appears we are on track to advance to November.”

Each of the leading contenders has promised to enhance the California film and TV tax credit if elected, though only Hilton has pledged to eliminate the $750 million cap on the program. Last month, Becerra said he would gather industry stakeholders early in his term for an entertainment summit.

“We’re gonna save our entertainment industry,” Hilton told supporters in Huntington Beach on Tuesday night. “We’re going to bring Hollywood home.”

Steyer, a longtime ally of the labor movement, won the endorsement of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the largest film union in the state.

Trailing the leading contenders were Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, and Katie Porter, a former member of Congress from Orange County.

In a departure from previous elections, Democratic voters appeared to be holding onto their ballots until the final days as they waited to make up their minds.

California can take up to 30 days to certify its election results, as counties verify signatures and tabulate late-arriving mail ballots. Ballots must be postmarked by election day in order to count.