California’s gubernatorial primary remained too close to call Tuesday night, with Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer emerging as the leading contenders in a fragmented race. Becerra (L) gained momentum in the closing weeks of the campaign after initially struggling in public polls. Meanwhile, Hilton (R) campaigned aggressively against what he described as California’s “one-party rule.” (Reuters, Getty Images via AFP) According to The Guardian, millions of ballots still need to be counted across the state, meaning final results may not be known for several days. California’s heavy reliance on mail-in voting and lengthy ballot verification process frequently delays definitive outcomes in tightly contested elections. The race to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom attracted an unusually large field of 61 candidates. Under California’s “jungle primary” system, all candidates appear on a single ballot regardless of party affiliation, with only the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election. Early concessions as top contenders pull ahead Early returns were strong enough for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor …