The California governor primary is still being decided, but with most ballots now counted, a clearer picture has emerged of how the state’s 58 counties cast their votes. The contest will ultimately send two candidates into a November runoff to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, who steps down in January 2027.

How the Jungle Primary Works

California uses what’s known as a jungle primary, a system that sets it apart from most states. Candidates from every party appear on the same ballot, and the top two finishers advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation. That structure means two members of the same party can end up facing each other in November, a real possibility this year given how the Democratic vote has split.

Where the Race Stands

Democrat Xavier Becerra has secured a spot in the runoff, leaning on a long résumé that includes stints as state attorney general and U.S. health secretary.

The fight for the second slot remains unsettled. As of Monday morning, the standings looked like this:

• Becerra held 27% of the vote with roughly 76% of expected ballots counted
• Republican Steve Hilton sat just behind at 25%
• Democrat Tom Steyer trailed in third with 22%

The margins are tight at the top. About 138,500 votes separated Becerra from Hilton, while roughly 250,600 votes stood between Hilton and Steyer. Notably, Hilton slipped by a percentage point between Sunday and Monday, after having led the pack early before Becerra overtook him as more results rolled in.

The Candidates in Contention

Steve Hilton is a British-born former Fox News host who became a U.S. citizen five years ago and carries an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager turned climate activist, has poured an extraordinary sum of his personal fortune into the race, well above $200 million, making it one of the most expensive campaigns in California history.

One other name worth watching is Republican Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, who is leading in some individual counties even as he sits outside the top tier statewide.

Why the Count Is Taking So Long

If the lack of a final result feels frustrating, that’s par for the course in California. The state’s counting process is famously slow, driven in large part by the heavy use of mail-in ballots that continue to be processed for days after Election Day. Those late ballots have tended to break Democratic, which helps explain how Becerra climbed from the back of the field to first place after the initial returns.

The secretary of state has until July 10 to certify the final tallies, so the numbers will keep shifting until then. Officials have cautioned that results will change throughout the counting period as more ballots are tallied.

What to Watch Next

The headline question is whether Becerra’s November opponent will be Hilton or Steyer. If Hilton holds on, the runoff becomes a classic Democrat-versus-Republican contest. If Steyer closes the gap, California could see two Democrats squaring off for the governorship, an outcome the jungle primary makes entirely possible.

Either way, the county-by-county breakdown reveals a state pulling in different directions, with Democratic strength concentrated in certain regions and Republican candidates like Hilton and Bianco running strong in others. As more ballots are counted in the days ahead, the final shape of the runoff, and the map behind it, will come into sharper focus.