California’s closely watched gubernatorial primary on June 2 saw early results place Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra at the top, with each receiving about 27% and 26% of early votes counted by 2 a.m. ET on June 3, according to USA Today. The race remained too close to call as many ballots, particularly mail-in votes, were still left to be processed.

Early Results and Voter Turnout

With roughly half the votes counted by 2 a.m. ET, Hilton, a former Fox News commentator and Trump-endorsed candidate, led the Republican field. Becerra, a former Biden administration official, followed closely behind in the Democratic race. Both candidates expressed confidence in advancing to the general election, while billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer held steady at about 20%, according to The Guardian.

“The first time I’ve run for office, over a million people and rising voted for me to take this incredible state in a new direction,” Hilton told cheering supporters with a theme of “Change is coming” at his campaign party in Huntington Beach, as reported by USA Today.

Mail-In Voting and Election Timeline

California’s extensive use of mail-in voting, which accounts for a significant portion of the electorate, means the race could remain too close to call for days. “It might take some time to figure out where this is going. We’re going to wait until every ballot is counted. We’re going to give democracy time to work,” Steyer told supporters in San Francisco, according to The Guardian.

Several Democratic candidates, including San Jose mayor Matt Mahan, former congresswoman Katie Porter, and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, conceded the race shortly after polls closed. The final outcome will likely depend on the pace at which remaining ballots are processed, a process that involves careful verification to ensure accuracy.

Broader Election Context

The primary was part of a broader set of elections across the U.S., where Democrats nominated a former wheelchair basketball gold medalist for Senate and a Native American female candidate for governor in New Mexico. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s winning streak in GOP primaries was halted in Iowa, where his preferred candidate lost to a novice, according to USA Today.

Despite the uncertainty in California’s governor’s race, both Hilton and Becerra expressed optimism. “The California dream is alive tonight,” Becerra told supporters. The state’s chaotic primary, which featured 61 gubernatorial hopefuls on a single ballot, revealed the complexity of the election process in the nation’s most populous state.