Hilton, Becerra, in the lead with votes still being counted in battle for California governor

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA - Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra were leading in unofficial early returns Wednesday morning and appeared positioned to advance to the November California gubernatorial election in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in steering the nation's most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies.

Hilton, a one-time British political strategist turned American conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host who is backed by President Donald Trump...