By Purushottam Dhakal, LOS ANGELES:-  Republican candidate Steve Hilton is leading the California gubernatorial primary election, according to the latest count. Republican candidate Hilton is leading with 1,400,235 votes, or 27.6%.

Democrat Javier Becerra is in second place with 1,293,813 votes, or 25.5%, while fellow Democrat candidate Tom Steyer is in third place with 1,001,299 votes, or 19.7%.

With Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom unable to run for re-election due to term limits, a large number of Democratic contenders are entering the fray with a divided mind.

Two Democrats, former Cabinet Secretary Javier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer, and one Republican, Trump-supporting commentator Steve Hilton, former Representative Katie Porter, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, as well as Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, appeared separately in the race.

The primary election for California governor remained inconclusive Wednesday afternoon as the vote tallies for the three leading candidates did not provide a clear indication of the final outcome.

Even as votes are being counted, it appears that the November vote will decide who will be elected governor, between Democrats Javier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton. The fate of the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies is likely to be decided by the November vote.

However, only two people will advance to the general election in California, and no primary candidates have yet been announced. The state has a history of significant voter updates after Election Day, which can sometimes change the outcome of the election when late-arriving mail and drop-off ballots are counted. Hilton is running in first, Becerra in second and Steyer in third.

“Change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” Hilton told supporters, echoing a campaign message that the state needs dramatic restoration.

Steyer also campaigned for change, albeit from a very different perspective. A former fund manager turned climate activist, he promised to raise taxes on corporations and the super-rich like himself. He declared Tuesday that he would prevail over the monied vested interests that tried to defeat him.

Meanwhile, Becerra presented himself as a steady hand who could lead the state against the Trump administration’s intrusions, touting his decades of public service as state attorney general and federal health secretary in Congress. Addressing supporters, he said voters had embraced his message after initially excluding him from the count.

California puts all candidates on a single primary ballot, regardless of party, and the top two advance to the November general election. About 60 candidates were on the ballot, most of whom are unknown to the state’s roughly 23 million voters.