California election results 2026 are rolling in after polls closed Tuesday evening, and the state’s most consequential primary in a generation is living up to its billing. The governor’s race is too close to call with just over half the vote counted, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has advanced to a November runoff, and the state’s top congressional race to fill Nancy Pelosi’s former seat has produced a clear frontrunner. Counting is expected to continue for days, if not weeks, given California’s size and universal vote-by-mail system.
California Governor Race 2026: Becerra vs Hilton with Steyer Fighting for Second
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton were leading in the race for California governor in early returns Tuesday night, a nailbiter befitting the most unsettled gubernatorial race in recent memory. The two were neck-and-neck after about 4.8 million ballots, roughly 55% of the expected votes, were counted statewide. It could be days or weeks before votes are completely tallied. Outlook India
With just under half of the vote in, Steyer had about 19.6% support, trailing leading rivals, with Becerra at about 25.8% and Hilton at about 26.7%. myKhel
Two Democrats, former Cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer, and one Republican, Trump-endorsed commentator Steve Hilton, separated themselves from a large pack that includes Democrats like former Rep. Katie Porter, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, as well as Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. ESPN
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, the only major female candidate in a crowded Democratic field, conceded in the race Tuesday night. Porter had focused her campaign on housing affordability and eliminating state income tax for middle-class residents. Yahoo Sports
California’s vote counting is notoriously slow, owing to its size and universal vote-by-mail system. The crowded, competitive field contending in the non-partisan primary for the two spots on the general election ballot has splintered the electorate, injecting further uncertainty in the final matchup. myKhel
Who Is Steve Hilton? The Trump-Backed Republican Shaking Up California
Hilton, a Trump-endorsed former Fox News host, has vowed to cut income taxes, slash environmental regulations, and boost oil drilling. He consolidated support from many of the state’s conservatives. Outlook India
Hilton told supporters Tuesday night that “change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” saying over 1 million Californians had already put their faith in him as he hoped to advance to November’s gubernatorial election. myKhel
Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a progressive Democrat who has self-funded his campaign to the tune of $213 million, was still fighting for one of the top spots Tuesday night. Outlook India
Under California’s jungle primary system, only the top two finishers advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation. A Hilton-Becerra matchup in November would represent the first competitive California gubernatorial general election in over a decade, pitting a Trump-aligned Republican directly against a Biden-era Cabinet Democrat in a state that has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger won reelection in 2006.
LA Mayor Race Results: Karen Bass Leads, Spencer Pratt in Second
With almost 50% of the expected vote counted, incumbent LA Mayor Karen Bass was leading the pack at 37%, followed by Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman. Bass told supporters she appreciated the support when others doubted her. “I love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you for believing in me,” she said. ESPN
ABC News projected that incumbent Karen Bass would advance to the November runoff for Los Angeles mayor. ESPN
Spencer Pratt said he looked forward to debating Bass again and furthering his message of aggressively enforcing laws against unhoused drug users. Raman blamed a “MAGA machine” for advancing a “dark agenda” against her campaign’s vision for a city that works for everyone. Bleacher Report
The race for Los Angeles mayor generated nationwide interest following criticism of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass over her handling of the devastating Palisades Fire in January 2025. Spencer Pratt launched his campaign after losing his home in the blaze. Bass earned endorsements from Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris heading into the primary, but faced persistent criticism over the city’s wildfire response. World Soccer Talk
Bass had touted a drop in LA’s homelessness rate since taking office in 2022 as a central reelection argument. Whether that message held with voters who experienced the Palisades Fire will be clearer once vote-by-mail ballots are fully counted. World Soccer Talk
California Primary 2026: Congressional Races That Will Reshape DC
Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener advanced to the general election for California’s 11th Congressional District in a bid for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s seat. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, he had 40,017 votes. ESPN
Californians also decided who advances in congressional races shaped by voter-approved Proposition 50, a measure backed by top Democrats aimed at shifting five of the state’s U.S. House seats to be more favorable to Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. The move was intended to counter similar action by Texas Republicans who redrew five districts to be more favorable to the GOP. World Soccer Talk
Key primaries included the CA-11 race to replace retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, and CA-40 in parts of Orange County and the Inland Empire, which could set up a November showdown between two Republicans after their districts were consolidated. World Soccer Talk
The CA-40 race is particularly significant for the balance of power in the House. With two incumbent Republicans pitted against each other in the same redrawn district, one sitting member of Congress was guaranteed to lose their primary. The outcome of that race will help determine the composition of California’s Republican congressional delegation heading into a 2026 general election cycle that both parties see as pivotal for control of the House.
How California’s Jungle Primary System Works
California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary, commonly called a jungle primary, in which all candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot regardless of their affiliation. Every registered voter receives the same ballot and can vote for any candidate. Only the top two finishers advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
This system creates scenarios that do not exist in most other states: two Democrats can face each other in November, two Republicans can face each other, or, as appears likely in the governor’s race, the top Democrat and top Republican advance together for a conventional general election matchup. The jungle primary is specifically designed to produce November runoffs that represent broader swaths of the electorate rather than the most partisan primary voters.
Since no candidate topped 50% of the vote share on Tuesday, the top two finishers will advance to the general election. With counting expected to continue for days, the identity of those two finishers, particularly in the three-way governor’s race, may not be definitively known for some time. myKhel
What California’s 2026 Primary Results Mean for November
The governor’s race outcome carries stakes that extend well beyond California’s borders. A Hilton-Becerra general election would immediately become one of the most watched state-level races in the country, a test of whether Trump-aligned Republicanism can compete in a state that voted for Democrats by more than 20 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Former health secretary Becerra led a crowded Democratic field in the California governor’s race early Wednesday after unexpectedly leapfrogging his opponents to become the last-minute frontrunner. His rise in the final weeks of the campaign was the story of the primary. Polls as recently as February had him trailing. Outlook India
The LA mayor race heading to a Bass-versus-Pratt November runoff, if that configuration holds, would be equally consequential for the national conversation about urban governance, crime, homelessness, and the political viability of incumbents who faced major crises during their first terms.
Latest Updates
Results continued to come in through the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026. ABC7 Los Angeles confirmed that Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra led the governor’s race with Tom Steyer in third position, and that Karen Bass advanced to the November runoff for LA mayor with roughly 37% of the early vote. CBS News Los Angeles reported that the congressional races shaped by Proposition 50 redistricting were among the key results being watched for their impact on the national House balance of power. The LA Times confirmed that counting would continue for days given California’s universal vote-by-mail system and the size of the electorate. Yahoo SportsWorld Soccer Talk
Full sources: LA Times | New York Times | ABC7 Los Angeles
Broader Implications
California’s 2026 primary is not just a state story. It is a national bellwether for at least three distinct political questions that will define the next two years of American politics.
First: can a Trump-endorsed Republican win statewide office in a state with 22 million registered voters who lean heavily Democratic? Hilton’s position in the top two of the governor’s primary suggests the answer is not obviously no, which is itself a political earthquake.
Second: are Democratic incumbents who presided over visible urban crises electorally vulnerable even in deep blue cities? Karen Bass advancing does not mean she is safe. A November runoff against Pratt, if that matchup holds, will be one of the most nationally watched municipal elections in memory.
Third: does redistricting still work as a partisan tool? California Democrats backed Proposition 50 explicitly to flip House seats. Whether those newly drawn districts produce the intended results in November will be studied by political strategists in every state.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the California election results for governor in 2026? With roughly 55% of votes counted as of early June 3, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra were leading the California governor’s primary, with Democrat Tom Steyer fighting for the second runoff spot. Final results may take days or weeks given California’s vote-by-mail system.
2. Who advanced in the Los Angeles mayor primary in 2026? Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was projected by ABC News to advance to the November runoff, leading with approximately 37% of early returns. Republican Spencer Pratt held second place, with City Councilmember Nithya Raman in third. The second runoff spot was not yet officially called as counting continued.
3. Who is Steve Hilton and why is he leading in California? Steve Hilton is a Trump-endorsed former Fox News host and British-American entrepreneur who ran on a platform of cutting income taxes, reducing environmental regulations, and boosting oil production. He consolidated support from California conservatives and ran an aggressive campaign targeting the state’s affordability and governance record.
4. What is the jungle primary system California uses? California’s jungle primary places all candidates from all parties on a single ballot. Every voter can vote for any candidate. The top two finishers advance to the November general election regardless of party, which means two candidates from the same party can face each other in November if they finish first and second.
5. Who won the race for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat in California? Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener advanced to the November general election for California’s 11th Congressional District, the seat previously held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. He had 40,017 votes counted as of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday night in early returns.
Sources and References
- LA Times: 2026 California Primary Election Live Results
- New York Times: California Primary Elections: Early Takeaways
- ABC7 Los Angeles: California Primary Election 2026: Voters Decide Key Races
