Republican Steve Hilton has dropped to second place

Democrat Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election for California governor after pitching himself as an experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, will advance to the November election in California’s governor’s race, CNN’s Decision Desk projects. It’s not yet clear who he’ll face.

Critical races across six states include a potentially competitive Iowa Senate race and a Trump-backed reality TV star's bid to be L.A. mayor

California voters statewide and those specifically in Los Angeles continue to wait to learn which candidates will advance to the general election, as the vote count from Tuesday’s primary moves at a snail’s pace.

The high-profile primary for California governor remains too early to call. Three candidates, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, remain in the race for two slots in the general election.