SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The end of California’s chaotic governor’s race was approaching Saturday as leading candidates rushed to deliver their closing arguments before voting concludes Tuesday.Former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra has called for “hot competence summer,” promoting his decades of public service as evidence he has what it takes to be California’s next governor. Republican Steve Hilton pledged an end to a “bloated, nanny-state bureaucracy” during remarks outside the state Capitol on Wednesday.Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer told reporters this week in Berkeley, California, that he’s made it his life’s work to advance progressive causes, a mission he’ll bring to Sacramento. They’re seeking to stand out in a field of roughly 60 candidates on a single ballot, regardless of party, under California’s top-two primary system. The two candidates who receive the most votes will face off in the general election to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who can’t seek a third term.
The crowded race includes Democrats Becerra, Steyer, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, and Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose. Hilton, a former Fox News host backed by President Donald Trump, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are the most prominent Republicans in the race.
