CALIFORNIA—On Tuesday, June 5, voters cast their ballots in the primary elections. In the state of California, candidates compete against each other regardless of party affiliation. The top two contenders move on to the General Election in November.

The two candidates remaining in the race for Governor of California are Democrat Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox. Newsom earned 33.8 percent of the vote and Cox received 26.2 percent of the vote.

Cox, 62, is a Santa Fe venture capitalist and businessman with no experience in public office. Since he announced his gubernatorial candidacy in March 2017, Cox has spent millions of his own money to fund his campaign.

President Donald Trump endorsed Cox in May 2018. Cox indicated he did not vote for Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

Newsom, 50, served as the Lieutenant Governor of California since 2011, where he served two terms in a state office. He previously served as the mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. He finished first in the primaries, beating out the other democratic candidates Antonio Villaraigosa, John Chiang, and Delaine Eastin.