Californians head to the polls to vote in governor, LA mayoral primaries with no clear frontrunners

​Californians go to the polls Tuesday to vote in primary elections that are expected to narrow the wide-open fields for November's General Elections in both the Los Angeles mayoral race and state gubernatorial contest – already the most expensive governor's race in U.S. history, with over $315 million spent so far.

Polling shows neither race having a clear leader, with Republican candidates in the liberal-leaning state among the front-runners in both. 

In the governor's race, ​the campaign of billionaire Democratic candidate Tom Steyer has poured in over $200 million in ad spending, the most money of any candidate this election cycle in the country, accounting for 64% of every dollar spent in this race, according to data from AdImpact. 

Fellow Democratic candidate and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has spent over $24 million, while Republican challengers Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton have combined for $3.8 million in advertising spending.

A recent Emerson College poll, shows Becerra leading with 28% of the vote, with Steyer and Hilton neck-and-neck for second place with 22% and 21% respectively. The poll's margin of error is 3%.

The top two vote-getters from the field of 61 to become California’s next governor will advance to the General Election regardless of party affiliation. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom cannot seek reelection because of term limits. The last time Californians elected a GOP governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.

All eyes Tuesday night will be on Los Angeles, the state's biggest city, with roughly 42% of the overall gubernatorial spending landing in that market – as the city holds its similarly close mayoral race.

Former reality star and GOP candidate Spencer Pratt and progressive City Council member Nithya Raman are top challengers in Democratic Mayor Karen Bass's second-term reelection bid.  

A recent poll conducted by the California Post shows Pratt leading at 30.1%, Bass at 29.5%, and Raman with 23.4%, with 62% of likely voters stating the city is going in the wrong direction. The poll's margin of error was 4.9 percentage points. 

Pratt, who announced his candidacy for mayor in January, has gained traction in recent weeks with his viral campaign ads after his debate performance in early May. 

Just the News reported last month that Bass led in essentially every poll, but with voters upset about her response to wildfires, homelessness and affordability, Pratt has surged in the homestretch of the race. President Trump has not endorsed Pratt but has wished him well in the contest.  

With more celebrity endorsements and national attention, Pratt has outperformed both candidates in fundraising over the past month, according to data from the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. The last time a Republican held the mayor's office was 2001. 

​As of today, more than 3.5 million voters statewide have already turned in their ballots, with over 19 million registered voters still outstanding. A November runoff for both mayor and gubernatorial candidates seems likely. While the race for mayor of L.A. would end if one of the candidates receives more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, the governor's race will automatically include the top two vote getters in November even if one of the candidates receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary.