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Early vote leaders for statewide offices
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SACRAMENTO (AP) — Polls closed Tuesday after voters cast ballots for California’s next attorney general, lieutenant governor, schools chief and other statewide offices. 

The Here’s a look at the down-ballot races:

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Republican Steven Bailey, a former state court judge, was trailing Xavier Becerra, who became California’s first Latino attorney general last year after Kamala Harris left for the U.S. Senate.

Becerra had about 57 percent of the vote with more than 3.7 million ballots counted Tuesday.

Becerra wants voters to keep him in the job to continue battling the Trump administration. Formerly a longtime Los Angeles congressman, Becerra regularly makes national headlines challenging the GOP president’s efforts to change environmental and immigration policies.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Eleni Kounalakis, a former diplomat, was leading Ed Hernandez, a state senator, had about 58 percent of the vote in the race for lieutenant governor after more than three million ballots were in.

The contest is a Democrat-on-Democrat matchup after no Republican finished in the top two spots during June’s blanket primary.

The lieutenant governor serves as a University of California regent, a California State University trustee and as a state lands commissioner overseeing conservation and public access. The lieutenant also acts as governor when the top executive is away.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

Republican-turned-independent Steve Poizner had the edge over Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara as they vie for insurance commissioner.

Poizner held 57 percent of the vote with 3.5 million ballots tallied Tuesday.

The Department of Insurance enforces insurance laws, licenses and regulates companies and investigates fraud.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla was running ahead with 59 percent of the vote, as he seeks re-election against Republican attorney Mark Meuser.

Padilla held his lead after 3.7 million votes were in Tuesday.

TREASURER

Democrat Fiona Ma has an early lead over Republican Greg Conlon in the race to become California’s money manager, with more than 58 percent of the votes counted.

The two were vying Tuesday to replace outgoing Treasurer John Chiang. Ma was ahead with nearly 3.8 million votes in.

The treasurer oversees the state’s money and sits on the boards of California’s public employee pension funds.

CONTROLLER

Democrat Betty Yee is out in front with more than 60 percent of the vote as she seeks re-election.

She’s leading Republican Konstantinos Roditis after nearly 3.8 million ballots were counted Tuesday.

The California controller serves as the state’s top accountant and audits various state programs. The controller sits on several state boards and the State Lands Commission.

SUPERINTENDENT OF 

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Los Angeles schools executive Marshall Tuck is leading with 52 percent of the vote as he vies to be the state’s top public education official.

After more than 3.2 million ballts were counted Tuesday night, Tuck led Assemblyman Tony Thurmond in the superintendent of public instruction race.

The race has become a proxy battle in a larger fight over how best to improve California schools. On one side of the debate are powerful teachers unions, which back Thurmond. On the other side are wealthy charter-school and education-reform proponents, which support Tuck.

Tuck has emphasized giving families a choice in the schools their children attend, including nonprofit charter schools. His donors include charter school advocates such as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.