Not long ago, it seemed inevitable that two Democrats would be vying for California’s governorship in November. With Tuesday’s primary election, Gavin Newsom, the favorite of the Democratic Party’s liberal base, cemented his status as the front-runner. But the biggest story of the night was Republican businessman John Cox nabbing the No. 2 spot ahead of Democrat and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Cox spent nearly $5 million (and appeared to get some unlikely help from Newsom’s campaign), but the turning point may have been — what else?

Source: Los Angeles Times June 06, 2018 12:00 UTC