Former Fox News host Steve Hilton clinches a top spot in governor's race, will challenge Xavier Becerra

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Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator, clinched one of the top spots in California’s gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, earning him the right to challenge veteran Democratic politician Xavier Becerra in the November election to determine the state’s next governor.The contest offers voters two starkly different politicians.Hilton was endorsed by President Trump and has wooed his MAGA supporters, blaming Democratic policies for California’s homelessness crisis, high cost of living and other entrenched ills.

Becerra campaigned as a battle-tested warrior against the Republican president and a champion of affordable healthcare.He could make history as the state’s first elected Latino governor.Hilton’s victory was declared by the Associated Press on Tuesday, days after Becerra secured one of the top spots and a week after the June 2 election.

Under California’s primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliation.According to the latest vote count, which is ongoing, Becerra has a slight edge over Hilton.

Democrat Tom Steyer finished in third place.The hedge fund founder and environmental activist spent $216 million of his own money on his campaign, and now joins the legion of other high-profile, self-funding candidates rejected by California voters.

Becerra heads into the Nov.3 election with a distinct advantage — Democratic voters in California outnumber Republicans by an almost 2-to-1 margin, a telltale reason why no GOP candidate has won a statewide race since 2006.

Politics Steve Hilton’s sudden rise in California politics comes a decade and a half after he pitched the U.K.Conservative Party with a very different idea: Britain could learn a lot from the Golden State.The contrast between Becerra and Hilton, both on policy and political personas...