California Primary 2026: What Happened and What It Means
California voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, delivering one of the most competitive and consequential primary nights the state has seen in decades. With Governor Gavin Newsom term-limited and unable to seek a third term, an open governor’s race for the first time in eight years headlined a ballot packed with high-stakes contests from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
California uses a nonpartisan top-two primary system — every candidate from every party runs on the same ballot, and the two vote-getters with the highest totals advance to the November 3 general election regardless of party affiliation. Here is a full breakdown of how every major race played out.
Governor’s Race: Hilton and Becerra Head to November
The night’s defining contest ended exactly as close as polls had predicted — and then some.
With more than half of votes counted by late Tuesday evening, Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton held a narrow lead at approximately 27%, with Democrat Xavier Becerra just one point behind at 26%. Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer finished third with around 20%, followed by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 11%. Former Congresswoman Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa all conceded or dropped out as early results came in.
The outcome sets up a genuinely historic general election. Republicans have not won a California statewide race since 2006, but Hilton’s strong showing demonstrates that voter frustration over housing costs, homelessness, energy prices, and public safety has real electoral weight. Becerra, who served as California’s Attorney General before leading the Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, framed his campaign around his record of challenging the federal government and defending workers, immigrants, and reproductive rights. Addressing supporters in Los Angeles on election night, he declared: “The California Dream, it’s alive tonight.”
Steyer, despite trailing by six or more points, declined to concede in San Francisco, blasting the corporate interests he said had organized against his campaign. “They are unanimous in their hatred for me, and I welcome their hatred,” he told his supporters.
The race had been thrown into chaos in April when then-frontrunner Eric Swalwell abruptly exited following allegations of sexual misconduct. That departure opened the door for Becerra, who had been a distant presence in earlier polling, to consolidate Democratic establishment support in the final weeks of the campaign.
Affordability dominated the entire race. Both Hilton and Steyer spent their final campaign weeks painting Becerra as a symbol of a broken status quo, while Becerra pointed to his decades of public service as the reason California voters could trust him with the state’s next chapter.
The November matchup between Becerra and Hilton will be the most closely watched California governor’s race in a generation.
Los Angeles Mayor: Bass Advances, Pratt Emerges as Unlikely Rival
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was projected to advance to the November runoff by ABC News with roughly 50% of votes counted, holding approximately 37% of the vote. Trailing behind her were political newcomer Spencer Pratt and City Council member Nithya Raman, locked in a tight battle for the second runoff spot.
Bass has faced fierce criticism throughout her first term, most severely over her administration’s handling of the January 2025 Palisades Fire — one of the most destructive wildfires in California history — which destroyed thousands of homes across Pacific Palisades and surrounding communities. Pratt, a reality television personality best known from The Hills, launched his campaign specifically because his own home burned in that disaster, channeling the anger of displaced Angelenos who felt their mayor had failed them in the crisis.
Bass addressed her supporters on election night, thanking voters for standing by her during a difficult term. “I love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you for believing in me,” she said, pledging to win in November.
Pratt’s presence in second place — even provisionally — is one of the most remarkable stories of the 2026 political cycle. Running with virtually no traditional campaign infrastructure or political experience, he drew significant support purely on the energy of post-fire anger toward city leadership. Steve Hilton, celebrating his own strong showing in the governor’s race, specifically called out Pratt’s performance from the stage: “It looks very much like change is coming in Los Angeles as well.”
Under LA’s election rules, Bass needed more than 50% outright to avoid a runoff. Finishing at 37% means she will face a November rematch — most likely against Pratt, though Raman was still competing for that second spot as ballots continued to be counted.
Congress: Scott Wiener Claims Nancy Pelosi’s Historic Seat
In San Francisco, State Senator Scott Wiener was projected to advance to the November general election in the race for California’s 11th Congressional District — the seat long held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who chose not to seek re-election this cycle.
Wiener had accumulated over 40,000 votes by 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan was competing for the second advancing spot as of late Tuesday night, with the race still unresolved.
Pelosi’s retirement from the House after more than 35 years representing San Francisco marks one of the most significant generational transitions in California congressional politics in decades. Whoever wins the seat in November will inherit one of the most symbolic and influential positions in the state’s federal delegation.
What Happens Next
All primary results remain unofficial. County elections offices across California must report final certified results to the Secretary of State by July 3, 2026. The Secretary of State will certify those results on July 10, 2026.
The confirmed November 3 general election matchups heading into certification are:
Governor: Xavier Becerra (D) vs. Steve Hilton (R) Los Angeles Mayor: Karen Bass (D) vs. TBD (Pratt or Raman — second spot unresolved) California 11th Congressional District: Scott Wiener (D) vs. TBD
The Bigger Picture
Tuesday’s results reflect a California electorate that is restless, frustrated, and open to disruption in ways that would have seemed unlikely even four years ago. The combination of a Republican finishing first in the governor’s primary and a reality TV star pushing an incumbent mayor into a competitive runoff sends an unmistakable signal: the state’s dominant Democratic coalition is under real pressure from voters who feel that decades of one-party governance have not solved California’s most fundamental problems.
Whether that frustration translates into actual November victories for Hilton and Pratt — in a state that has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger — is the defining question of California politics for the rest of 2026.
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