Sacramento, California - Votes were being counted in California's gubernatorial primary Tuesday, with three men locked in a tight race for two run-off spots, as officials in Los Angeles began tallying ballots for mayor of the second biggest city in the US.

The state's so-called "jungle primary" pits all comers in one mega-poll. The top two vote-getters – regardless of party – advance to the November general election to replace term-limited Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

Xavier Becerra, a career politician who served as former president Joe Biden's health secretary, was in the box seat as the early numbers rolled in.

Duking it out for second place are Democrat Tom Steyer and Steve Hilton, a Republican backed by President Donald Trump.

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Hilton, a former British political strategist, has campaigned on blaming Democrats for the state's deep-rooted housing, affordability, and homelessness problems.

Nancy Gillette said she had voted for the erstwhile Fox News commentator and was angry at the cost of living in California.

"There's no reason why our gas prices should be seven dollars a gallon," she told the New York Times.

Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager, has spent more than $200 million of his own money on a campaign advocating for higher taxes on rich people and lower utility bills for California's squeezed middle class.

Voter Carly Boyajian told AFP she was backing him.

"Steyer's done a really good job at being very charismatic and talking about the things that matter to me," she said.

California is notoriously slow at counting ballots, and the results might not even start to take shape properly until Wednesday. Large amounts of postal voting might put that back even further.

Late-arriving ballots were expected to favor Democrats.

Despite its huge economy – California would have the world's fourth largest if it were a country – and pockets of unbelievable wealth, America's most populous state is disgruntled.

While the tech bros of Silicon Valley enjoy fabulous homes, the soaring cost of housing leaves millions struggling to pay the rent.

Eye-watering utility bills and the nation's priciest gas, coupled with high taxes and crumbling public services, add to a general sense of injustice.

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There is also the problem of homelessness in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The high stakes and the wall-to-wall advertisements notwithstanding, the race has never really caught fire, and the public has seemed decidedly unenthusiastic – even if the vote could have national implications.

Incumbent Newsom is believed to have his eyes on the White House in 2028, while Republicans would savor capturing the governor's mansion in the Golden State.

People in Los Angeles were also voting Tuesday in the city's mayoral primary.

Incumbent Karen Bass, who is making her case for a second term, is sandwiched between a left-wing former ally on the city council and a pugnacious reality TV star coming in hard from the right.

Bass, an ex-congresswoman and Democratic Party stalwart, had an unremarkable start to her stint at the helm of the city, and seemed headed for easy re-election.

But her flat-footed handling of the huge fires that tore through the area in January 2025 left her in trouble.

Early results revealed a strong showing from Spencer Pratt, a one-time reality TV villain whose house burned down in the devastating fires of January 2025.

Pratt has channeled widespread anger over the slow rebuild process, LA's potholed roads, its homeless population, and a city hall seen as inefficient and in thrall to special interests.

Council member Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist, was also in with a chance of making the November run-off.

Primary votes were also held Tuesday in Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.