Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra led a crowded governor’s race on election night with about half of the expected vote counted. Democrat Tom Steyer, a billionaire and liberal activist, was trailing in third. Gavin Newsom’s replacement as California governor will enter office at a high-stakes moment: The state continues to face soaring housing costs and an insurance crisis, homelessness, drug and mental health crises, perennial budget woes and ongoing federal funding cuts.