California’s June 2 primary left two major races moving toward November with important questions still unresolved. Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra led the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced in her bid for a second term after falling short of an outright primary win, according to the Los Angeles Times live updates.
The results remain unofficial. California election officials said statewide results will be certified by July 10, 2026, and that vote-by-mail, provisional and other ballots will continue to be counted after election night, according to the statewide governor returns.
Key Facts from the California Primary
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In the governor’s race, Hilton led the early statewide count with 1,178,030 votes, or 26.9%, while Becerra followed with 1,128,923 votes, or 25.8%. Tom Steyer, the Democratic billionaire and climate activist, was third with 868,884 votes, or 19.8%.
California uses a top-two primary system for voter-nominated offices. All candidates appear on the same primary ballot, and the two highest vote-getters move to the general election regardless of party preference, according to the California Secretary of State.
That system makes the early Hilton-Becerra lead especially significant. Reuters reported that the two candidates appeared positioned to advance to the Nov. 3 general election if their margins hold through the remaining count.
The race is being watched nationally because California’s governor’s office is open after Newsom’s two terms, and the state remains central to Democratic policy and fundraising power. Reuters reported the early standings and national stakes.
Latest Verified Update
In Los Angeles, Bass led the mayoral primary with 139,485 votes, or 36.65%. Spencer Pratt was second with 112,453 votes, or 29.55%, while City Councilmember Nithya Raman had 79,133 votes, or 20.79%, according to Los Angeles County results.
The Associated Press called Bass’s advancement to the November runoff, but the final shape of the runoff depended on continued ballot counting.
AP described the race as a test of Bass’s first term, which has been shaped by homelessness policy, public safety concerns and criticism over City Hall’s handling of major challenges. AP’s live coverage tracked the mayoral and statewide contests.
Why the Governor’s Race Matters
The governor’s contest is the first open California governor’s race since Newsom became the state’s dominant executive figure. Becerra entered the campaign with a long Democratic résumé, including service as California attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary. Hilton, a former Fox News host and conservative commentator, ran as a Republican critic of California’s Democratic establishment.
Steyer’s third-place standing was one of the most closely watched developments of the night. His campaign had the money to compete across California’s expensive media markets, but the early vote count placed him behind both Hilton and Becerra.
CalMatters noted that the primary also unfolded alongside statewide offices, legislative races and congressional contests tied to California’s redrawn political map. CalMatters tracked the broader election landscape.
What Happens Next
The immediate next step is ballot processing. California’s election system can produce shifts after election night because mail ballots, provisional ballots and conditional voter registration provisional ballots are counted during the canvass period. That does not mean the election is irregular. It means the posted numbers are incomplete until counties finish processing eligible ballots.
For now, the most likely November governor matchup is Hilton against Becerra, though that remains unofficial until the count is complete and certified. In Los Angeles, Bass has secured a place in the runoff, while Pratt’s second-place margin over Raman must survive the remaining ballots. The final certified results will determine whether election night’s early order becomes the November ballot.
