WASHINGTON (AP) - Two contenders for California governor will advance from a crowded group of 61 candidates during Tuesday's primary. At the same time voters will pick nominees for the U.S. House based on new district lines approved in a 2025 ballot measure.

The ballot also features numerous state and local races including the Los Angeles mayoral contest where the Democratic incumbent faces over a dozen opponents. One challenger is a former reality television personality whose bid has drawn attention from President Donald Trump another former reality star.

California's top-two primary system in which all candidates appear on one ballot irrespective of party has added complexity to several prominent contests including the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Although many Democrats favor facing a Republican in the solidly blue state the presence of multiple prominent Democrats risks splitting their support and allowing two Republicans to reach the general election thereby ensuring a Republican governor.

The Democratic candidates include former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan billionaire 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. On the Republican side Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton who holds Trump's backing are seeking the nomination.

Democrats Eric Swalwell and former state Controller Betty Yee remain listed on the ballot despite having exited the race. Swalwell a leading contender withdrew on April 12 after denying sexual assault allegations and stepped down from Congress two days later.

For control of the closely divided U.S. House the new congressional map that benefits Democrats has created challenges for several Republican incumbents. The boundaries were endorsed by voters in a November 2025 referendum responding to efforts by Trump and allies in Texas and elsewhere to increase GOP representation ahead of the fall midterms.

In the 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley reviewed his choices and switched from the Republican Party in March to seek reelection as an independent.

Republican U.S. Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim now face each other in the 40th Congressional District. Democrat Esther Kim Varet is among several candidates aiming to secure one of the two general election spots.

A special election is also underway in the 1st Congressional District to finish the term of the late Republican U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa who passed away in January. The five-candidate contest matches the Democratic state Senate President against the Republican state Assembly Minority Leader. If no one secures a majority the top two will meet again on Aug. 4. The winner will serve under existing boundaries rather than the new map that takes effect for the next Congress.

A special election to fill Swalwell's vacant 14th Congressional District seat is scheduled for June 16 also using current boundaries.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race Democrat Karen Bass pursues a second term in the nonpartisan position against tech entrepreneur Adam Miller former MTV reality show participant Spencer Pratt City Councilmember Nithya Raman and additional candidates. Trump recently remarked that he would like to see Pratt succeed.

Democrats hold a clear edge over Republicans in statewide contests thanks to strong backing in the densely populated regions around Los Angeles San Francisco Sacramento and San Diego. Republicans generally fare better in the less populated northern areas and Central Valley while remaining competitive in Southern California suburbs beyond Los Angeles and San Diego. No Republican has captured statewide office in California since 2006.

Key facts about the election and metrics the AP Decision Team will track as results come in follow.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. PT which is 11 p.m. ET.

What's on the ballot?

The AP will report results and name winners in contested races for U.S. House governor lieutenant governor secretary of state controller treasurer attorney general insurance commissioner state school superintendent Board of Equalization state Senate State House mayor of Long Beach mayor of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County sheriff.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in California can take part in the state primary.

How many voters are there?

As of April 3 about 23.1 million people were registered in California including roughly 10.4 million Democrats about 5.8 million Republicans and approximately 5.3 million unaffiliated with any party.

How many people actually vote?

Roughly 7.3 million ballots were cast in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary representing about one third of registered voters.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 89 percent of the 2024 U.S. Senate primary vote arrived before primary day.

As of Thursday approximately 2.6 million ballots had already been submitted for Tuesday's election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Four out of five California counties release some or most mail ballot results in the first report of the evening typically ahead of any in-person Election Day totals. Nearly half the counties include most or all in-person early voting results in that initial report.

Because mail voting tends to favor Democrats and in-person Election Day voting tends to favor Republicans the early release of mail results may give Democratic candidates an initial advantage while Republican candidates could close the margin as Election Day votes are tallied.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 primaries the AP issued the first results at 11:08 p.m. ET eight minutes after polls closed. The final update that night came at 6:01 a.m. ET with about 52 percent of total votes counted. The count reached 99 percent roughly two weeks later on March 20 at 7:47 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press issues no projections and names a winner only after confirming no remaining scenario allows a trailing candidate to overtake the leader. If a race remains uncalled the AP will continue reporting notable developments such as concessions or victory claims while noting that no winner has been declared and explaining the reason.

How do recounts work?

California has no automatic recounts. Any registered voter may request and pay for one. The AP may declare a winner in a recounted race once it determines the margin is too large for a recount or legal challenge to alter the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday 14 days remain until the June 16 special primary in Congressional District 14 63 days until the Aug. 4 special general election in Congressional District 1 77 days until the Aug. 18 special general election in Congressional District 14 and 154 days until the Nov. 3 general election.

-- Robert Yoon Associated Press