Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert is trailing behind Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta and two Republicans in the race for state attorney general, according to an early tally of votes Tuesday night.

In a state that leans heavily Democratic, Bonta was expected to easily secure the top spot during the primary, despite facing some recent pressure related to the public perception of increased crime.

But it was the fight for a second place finish that’s made the race for attorney general one of the state’s most competitive this year, as the top two vote-getters would ultimately move on to the November election.

Bonta had captured 57.8% of the vote as of about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday night, while Republican Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general, had captured 17.2% of the vote.

Eric Early, a Los Angeles-based business and entertainment lawyer, captured 14.7% of the vote; Schubert captured 7.7% of the vote; Green Party candidate Dan Kapelovitz, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense and animal rights attorney, captured 2.6% of the vote.

Schubert, elected as Sacramento County’s district attorney in 2014, had been a lifelong Republican until four years ago, when she won her second term and changed her registration to “no party preference.”

That led to her gamble that she could win statewide office as a nonpartisan candidate running against an appointed Democratic attorney general in Bonta. Two lesser-known Republicans and a Green Party candidate later joined the race.

In a statement to KCRA, Bonta said he’s “humbled and deeply honored by this vote of confidence and the resounding message delivered by California voters today.”

“As Attorney General, I wake up every day and go to work to protect public safety and defend…