Republican Steve Hilton sits atop the field in California’s gubernatorial primary, ahead of two prominent Democrats vying for the second spot in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.

With all 19,788 precincts partially reporting as of 4:44 a.m. Wednesday, Hilton — a former Fox News host and tech entrepreneur from England — was leading the field with 1,386,966 votes, or 27.8% of the ballots counted, according to unofficial results (opens in new tab) released by the California Secretary of State.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary and state Attorney General Xavier Becerra held second place with 1,267,070 votes, or 25.4%, while billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer trailed in third at 979,007 votes, representing 19.6% of the total.

“We started off [as] a scrappy little start-up, just a handful of rebels, believing this state could be better than it is today,” Hilton said on election night. “We’re already the best place in the world. No question about that. There’s nowhere better than California. But we all know that this state has gone off track and we need to get it back on track,”

On Tuesday night, Becerra sought to draw a sharp contrast with the national political climate, framing a potential general election campaign as a defense of California’s identity against what he called chaos and corruption in Washington.

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“When the pendulum swings back against the chaos, the cruelty, and the corruption — when all that remains of MAGA are broken promises, unpaid debts, and empty ballrooms — the world will look once again for American renewal and for the state of California to lead the way,” Becerra told cheering supporters.

He closed his remarks with a direct appeal to voters heading into November. “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down,” he said. “California — November, here we come.”

Steyer, speaking to supporters, cast the race in stark economic terms, assailing what he described as a system rigged in favor of the wealthy at the expense of working Californians.

“California is the richest state in the richest country in the history of the world,” Steyer said. “It’s unacceptable that right now, so many Californians struggle to make ends meet.”

He singled out corporate pricing practices and the concentration of wealth as central grievances of his campaign. “For every bill that’s too high, there’s a special interest profiting off keeping it there,” he said. “We don’t have to accept this.”

All figures in the race remained subject to change as mail-in, provisional and other outstanding ballots continue to be counted in the weeks ahead. Final results must be certified by July 10.

Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes regardless of their party affiliation advance to the November general election. Though Hilton currently has the lead, California voters have not elected a Republican as governor since granting Arnold Schwarzenegger a second term in 2006.

Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was in fourth place with 566,679 votes, or 11.3%. Among other notable Democrats, Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine received 231,488 votes (4.6%) and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan collected 205,563 votes (4.1%).

In California, 44% of voters are registered as Democrats while 25% are Republicans. The lack of a clear Democratic frontrunner in the results speaks to the unusual dynamics in the governor’s race.

Hilton, 46, is a British-born conservative commentator who moved to the United States and became an American citizen. He has positioned himself as a populist outsider in the race. Becerra, a cabinet member in the Biden administration, is seen as an establishment figure whose candidacy gained momentum only after the downfall of Rep. Eric Swalwell who withdrew from the race amid allegation of sexual misconduct. Steyer, a billionaire and progressive, has never held public office, but spent vast sums of his personal wealth on his campaign.