California governor’s race still a toss-up as leading candidates battle for top spots

• 01With nearly 60% of votes counted in the California governor primary, Republican Steve Hilton was narrowly ahead, with Democrat Xavier Becerra in second place and billionaire Tom Steyer in third.
• 02California's election system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
• 03California uses a vote-by-mail system where ballots are sent to all registered voters about a month in advance.
• 04In New Jersey, Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former healthcare executive and US Navy veteran, was nominated to face Republican congressman Tom Kean Jr., who ran unopposed and has been absent from Congress for three months.
• 05In Iowa, Josh Turek, who uses a wheelchair and is a Paralympic gold medalist, defeated state senator Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary for the open US Senate seat.
• 06Cook Political Report moved the Iowa Senate race from 'likely Republican' to 'lean Republican' following Turek's primary victory.
• 07Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, advanced to the November general election as one of two candidates in that race.
• 08Turek said in a statement: 'I will be a real fighter for Iowans, the middle class and our working families. So from now until November, I welcome all Iowans – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike – to join our team.'

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Primary elections across multiple states on Tuesday resulted in Steve Hilton leading the California gubernatorial race with Xavier Becerra in second place, as vote counting continued. In New Jersey, Democrat Rebecca Bennett was nominated to challenge Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr., while in Iowa, Josh Turek, a state legislator and Paralympic athlete, won the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat, prompting a political rating shift to "lean Republican" from "likely Republican." The results reflected voters' preference for establishment Democrats in key races while also supporting some progressive candidates in solidly Democratic districts.