Republican businessman and Trump-endorsed candidate Steve Hilton and former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra maintained the lead in California’s gubernatorial primary on Wednesday, making them the strong favorites to face off in the November 3 general election.

With nearly all precincts at least partially reporting, Hilton led with 27.8% of the vote while Becerra trailed closely at 25.4%. Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer sat in third place with 19.6%. Because California uses a “jungle primary” system in which the top two finishers advance regardless of party, the current standings would set up a traditional Republican versus Democrat matchup for the state’s top office.

Hilton, a British-born former television host and advisor to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, has centered his campaign on making California more affordable, including a proposal to exempt the first $100,000 of income from state taxes. He received a congratulatory message from President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that Hilton “will turn California around.”

Becerra, a former congressman, California attorney general, and Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary, would become the state’s first Latino governor if elected in a state where Hispanics and Latinos make up about 40% of the population.

The race will determine who succeeds term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom and leads California’s massive $4 trillion economy while tackling persistent challenges, including housing affordability, homelessness, and water shortages. Republicans have not won a statewide office in California since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.