Overview
- Early returns from the June 2 primary showed Republican Steve Hilton leading the crowded California governor contest with Democrat Xavier Becerra close behind, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass earning enough votes to advance to a November runoff.
- Counting is ongoing because California accepts ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive up to seven days later, so millions of mail and drop‑off ballots remain to be verified and tallied.
- In Los Angeles, reality TV veteran Spencer Pratt posted an unexpected early surge and currently trails Bass for the second runoff spot while Councilmember Nithya Raman remains within reach as more urban ballots are processed.
- Analysts say voter anger over the Palisades wildfire response, homelessness and affordability helped outsider Republican performances, pressuring incumbents to defend their records and reshaping the fall matchup dynamics.
- President Trump made unsubstantiated claims that late ballots were being used to “steal” the races, while election officials and media described the extended count as routine and warned final outcomes could change over days or weeks under the top‑two primary rules.