SACRAMENTO — Democrat Xavier Becerra has advanced to the November general election for California governor, moving the former U.S. health secretary and California attorney general into the next stage of the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Associated Press projected Becerra’s advancement Friday, June 5, after several days of ballot counting in California’s June 2 primary. His general election opponent had not been officially certified as of the latest available statewide results, though Republican Steve Hilton remained in second place in the unofficial count.

As of the latest accessible statewide results posted by the California Secretary of State, Becerra led the governor’s race with 2,177,268 votes, or 27.7%. Hilton followed with 1,974,675 votes, or 25.1%, while Democrat Tom Steyer had 1,759,073 votes, or 22.4%.

The state listed all precincts as partially reporting and said the results remained unofficial. Vote-by-mail, provisional and other ballots continue to be processed after Election Night, and results may change during the canvass period. California is scheduled to certify the results in July.

The race is being decided under California’s top-two primary system, which sends the two highest vote-getters for voter-nominated offices to the general election regardless of party preference. The system can produce a November contest between candidates from different parties or, in some races, two candidates from the same party.

Becerra entered the race with one of the longest public records in the field. He served in Congress, became California attorney general and later led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During the campaign, he presented himself as an experienced administrator prepared to address some of California’s most persistent problems, including housing costs, energy prices, insurance availability and budget pressure.

His record also became a point of scrutiny. Rivals questioned whether a long career in government matched voters’ demand for change, while Becerra argued that his state and federal experience would help him manage the nation’s most populous state.

If elected, Becerra would become California’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s, a distinction that has added historical weight to his candidacy in a state where Latino voters make up a major share of the electorate.

Becerra’s advancement narrows what had been a crowded and unsettled primary field. The continuing count will determine the final shape of the November contest and the opponent he will face in the campaign to lead California after Newsom, who is barred by term limits from seeking another term.