Gov. Gavin Newsom is headed to a resounding re-election victory for a second four-year term, defeating Republican candidate Brian Dahle by a wide margin.

Unofficial returns at 11pm showed Newsom with 57.6%, and Dahle trailing with 42.4%, with 95% of the state's precincts reporting at least partial returns Newsom's lead dropped from 62% when polls first closed.

Approximately 60% of votes remained to be counted.

Newsom, who spent much of his 2022 campaign traveling to other states and speaking out on national issues, appeared to be laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential run, which he repeatedly denied. The strong re-election margin in the nation’s biggest state with the most Democrats, in a year of a GOP surge nationwide, is likely to give a big boost to Newsom’s political future.

In 2018, Newsom was elected with 61.9% of the vote, the most ever by a Democratic candidate for governor in California.

Here are the 2022 results, in percentages, in other statewide races, based on early, unofficial returns from the Secretary of State, as of 11pm Election Day. About 40% of votes have been counted statewide. Vote-by-mail, provisional and other ballots will continue to be processed and counted after Election Day.

Governor

Gavin Newsom 57.6%

Brian Dahle 42.4%

Lieutenant Governor

Elen Kounatakis 57.8%

Angela Jacobs 42.2%

Secretary of State

Shirley Weber 58.1%

Rob Bernosky 41.9%

Controller

Malia Cohen 53.6%

Lanhee Chen 46.4%

Treasurer

Fiona Ma 57.1%

Jack Guerrero 42.9%

Attorney General

Rob Bonta 60.5%

Nathan Hochman 39.5%

Insurance Commissioner

Ricardo Lara 57.9%

Robert Howell 42.1%

Supt. of Public Instruction

Tony Thurmond 62.7%

Lance Christensen 37.3%

U.S. SENATE

Alex Padilla 59%

Mark Meuser 41%