Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra to face off in California governor's race

Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are headed to the California governor's race in November, according to the Associated Press.

The big picture: With 91% of the vote counted as of Tuesday evening:

• Hilton has 25% of the vote and Becerra 27.9%.
• The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, face off in November.

Context: It took a week of vote counting for the winners to emerge, fueling a familiar ritual where early Republican leads slowly vanish.

• After a strong showing on Election Night, Hilton's lead slowly diminished, but he still held on to a second-place spot.
• The delay is in part because mail ballots postmarked by Election Day are still counted.

Friction point: The race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom has been a bumpy one.

• There were 61 total candidates on the ballot, and initially eight top Democrats running for the seat.
• Then in April, a Democrat front-m-runner, Congressman Eric Swalwell dropped out amid allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual misconduct, which he denies.
• Fellow Democrat Betty Yee dropped out shortly after.

Even before Swalwell's exit, political commentators were noting the lack of excitement in the race, especially in the Democratic field.

• "The fact that there aren't any rising stars is indicative of a party that has not had for a generation competitive disagreements and healthy dialogue about who it is, and so that's atrophied," Republican strategist Mike Madrid told Axios in April.

The losers: The other candidates not advancing include billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, Congresswoman Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco.

What's next: The following months will see the Republican Hilton attempt to overcome the odds in California, where nearly half of registered voters are Democrats.

• Hilton, a Fox News host, has outspoken opinions on several big issues.
• He told Axios last month that he would use state law enforcement to clear illegal homeless encampments, allow offshore drilling on California's coast and move to a flat 7.5% tax rate to keep and attract businesses.
• Becerra didn't respond to Axios' questions.