Ex-UK political aide and Biden cabinet secretary lead California governor primary vote count

Ex-UK political aide and Biden cabinet secretary lead California governor primary vote count

The California governor's race remains up in the air a day after the primary vote, with British-American former TV host Steve Hilton and onetime Biden cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra at the top of a crowded field.

The contest could take several days to decide due to the volume of postal ballots cast on Tuesday to pick the top two candidates for November's general election.

Becerra, a Democrat, has vowed to oppose President Donald Trump. Hilton is a Republican endorsed by Trump.

Another Democrat, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, was in third place as counting continued. Current Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is not running for re-election due to term limits.

Becerra, who was health secretary under President Joe Biden, has promised he will freeze insurance and utility rates.

Hilton, who was once a top adviser to ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron before going on to host his own show on Fox News, has pledged to make the state affordable by cutting taxes and regulations.

The governor's race ought to have been straightforward for Democrats, but it descended into disarray.

A large field of Democrats jumped in due to the lack of a star politician who could have dominated the election.

It became the most expensive California gubernatorial race on record, with immense ad spending by Steyer and Silicon Valley support for another Democratic candidate, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Former Democratic congresswoman Katie Porter also joined the fray.

The contest was shaken up after one of the leading candidates, Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell, dropped out and resigned from Congress in April amid allegations of sexual assault, which he denied.

The prospect of several Democrats splintering the vote sparked concerns from the party's high command that two Republicans could advance in deeply liberal California.

The state's so-called jungle primary system picks the two contenders with the most votes, regardless of political party.

There were more than 60 candidates, including one who changed his name to "Barack Obama Shaw".

Becerra framed his campaign around his record in Congress in Washington DC, and in California state office.

Hilton, as an adviser to former UK PM Cameron, was known for helping to shape Conservative Party strategy during a turbulent period in British politics that resulted in Brexit.

He was also known for his California fashion sense, often without tie or even barefoot.

In California, he has campaigned to "disrupt the system", vowing to solve the homelessness crisis and arguing the state should co-operate more closely with the federal government on immigration enforcement and roll back sanctuary policies.

Should he advance to the general election, he could face an uphill battle in a state where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by roughly two-to-one.

California's last Republican governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose term ended in 2011.

The state may have to wait another day, if not more, to find out which two candidates will duel in November, because California relies heavily on vote-by-mail.

It is the most populous state in the US and is the fifth largest economy in the world in its own right.

California has also been at the forefront of some of America's most contentious political battles, from immigration and climate policy to homelessness and housing affordability, and most recently soaring petrol prices, a result of the US-Iran war and the highest fuel taxes in the nation.