California governor's race set to narrow as voters decide in 2026 primary

The wide, crowded field vying to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in California will soon narrow as voters decide which two candidates will advance in the state's 2026 gubernatorial primary election following a chaotic race full of twists and turns. Under California's top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes will move on to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation. The contest has drawn a mix of candidates with backgrounds in federal, state and local government, as well as business and media. Polling throughout the race showed no clear front-runner to replace Newsom, with a significant share of voters remaining undecided heading into the primary election, according to a recent CBS News poll . Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton, and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, both Democrats, have emerged as the leading contenders to advance to November's general election, according to preliminary results. On Tuesday night, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa all acknowledged that they would not become California's next governor. Among the other major candidates remaining in the race as of Tuesday night are State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. …