Former Biden Cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra and Fox News commentator Steve Hilton have emerged as the early leading candidates in the race for California governor with only half of the vote reported.

These two may go head-to-head in a runoff in the November general election. With half of the vote counted, the Republican Brit leads with 27% of the vote with the former Calif. attorney general closely behind with 26% of the vote. Billionaire businessman Tom Steyer trails behind with just 20% of the reported vote.

Former health and human services secretary Becerra has the most political experience of the frontrunners. He previously served as the California attorney general from 2017 to 2021 and a U.S. representative for the state from 1993 to 2017.

Steyer is a hedge fund billionaire-turned-climate activist. He founded the San Francisco hedge Farallon Capital in 1986 and was its co-senior managing partner until leaving the firm in 2012. He has since become active in climate advocacy, founding NextGen America and climate change-focused investment firm Galvanize Climate Solution.

The businessman spent $216 million of his own wealth on his gubernatorial bid, arguing that he is the only candidate who does not have to rely on special interest gorups.

The former British political strategist has emerged as the leading Republican candidate, ousting his rival Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, after President Donald Trump endorsed him in April. Hilton immigrated to California from the UK in 2012, where he was previously the aide of Prime Minister David Cameron.

The top 2 candidates will advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

An Emerson College poll in partnership with Inside California Politics predicted Becerra to lead the polls at 28% with Steyer and Hilton tied for second position with 23% of the vote.

As for the leading candidates’ opinions on entertainment industry issues, both Steyer and Hilton support an uncapped tax credit program for California. Becerra has been more hesitant, but he did note that the current $750 million tax credit is “the floor.”

All of the candidates have advocated for a federal production incentive and pledged to push for the White House’s support to make domestic production more attainable and competitive with that of international markets.

The largest union representing Hollywood workers, IATSE, joined with other labor groups in endorsing Steyer, who has been more outspoken in his opposition to M&A in the entertainment sector.

The general election to determine who will become California governor will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3.

More to come…

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, led in initial returns in the race for California governor.

According to the results, per the AP, the two candidates were nearly tied, with each drawing about 26% of the vote, with about half of the ballots in. In California’s open primary, the top two finishers will advance to the November election, regardless of party.

Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democrat who has spent nearly $200 million on advertising, per the AP, was trailing in third place, hovering at around 20% of the vote.

“It’s encouraging,” Hilton told CNN. “What we’re really watching is the gap between me and the third place candidate, Tom Steyer. As long as that gap stays roughly where it is, then Californians will have a choice for change in the general election.”

The race to succeed Gavin Newsom was perhaps most notable for what it was not: inspiring. None of the candidates electrified any of the debates, as the large field of contenders strategized to win one of the two slots on the November ballot. That meant extensive verbal sparring in the forums.

Another Republican, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, was drawing about 11%, while former congresswoman Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were in the single digits.

Earlier in the evening, Villaraigosa conceded, after what was his second bid for governor. In his statement, he offered a warning to Democrats of voter discontent.

“California is at an inflection point, and our representatives and my Party need to start taking these challenges seriously so that we can once again make California the envy of the nation and the globe,” he said.

If Becerra and Hilton end up as the top two voter getters, it will set up a rather traditional Democrat vs. Republican contest. But Hilton is likely to hammer Becerra as a creature of the state’s Democratic establishment.

Becerra, who would be the state’s first Latino governor if elected, has emphasized his experience, not just in the Biden cabinet but as the California attorney general who previously had a long tenure in Congress. He was far back in the polls until Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race in April, amid sexual misconduct allegations.