4 contenders battle in bitter race to replace Boris Johnson

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The fractious race to replace Boris Johnson as Britain’s prime minister has narrowed, with four candidates battling for two spots in a run-off vote by members of the governing Conservative Party. After three rounds of voting by party lawmakers, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak leads the shrinking field and has all but secured his place in the final pair. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch are vying for second place. Tory lawmakers will vote Tuesday and again on Wednesday, with the last-place challenger eliminated each time. The two finalists will go to a runoff vote of all 180,000 members of the Conservative Party.