California Elections: Key Contests and Vote Counts

Spencer Pratt’s lead over Councilwoman Nithya Raman in the Los Angeles mayoral race narrowed on Thursday. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton held a lead over Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer. The recent Los Angeles wildfires have put California’s elections in the national spotlight, offering a glimpse into the future of progressive leadership.

Pratt, a Republican, trails incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass for a chance to move to the November general election. Bass has already secured enough votes to advance. Pratt holds a 6% lead over Raman, with 163,549 votes compared to Raman’s 130,473, as per the latest count from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk. An analysis of Los Angeles’ archived vote tallies shows that Raman gained over 10,000 votes recently, while Pratt added under 6,000. Previously, Pratt led with 157,116 votes to Raman’s 119,809.

LA CITY COUNCILWOMAN PREVIOUSLY BACKED BY DSA RUNNING FOR MAYOR IN PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO BASS

Pratt hosted a campaign block party on May 20, 2026, in Los Angeles, signaling his active campaign efforts.

In the governor’s race, Steve Hilton maintained a narrow lead over former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Hilton has 1,533,435 votes, according to the California Secretary of State. Becerra follows with 1,470,100 votes, while Democrat Tom Steyer trails with 1,139,517 votes.

HILTON, BECERRA IN THE LEAD WITH VOTES STILL BEING COUNTED IN BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

Steyer participated in a gubernatorial debate hosted by the San Francisco Examiner and CBS on May 14, 2026, demonstrating the competitive nature of the election.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the top two candidates will progress to a runoff in November. Becerra engaged in a roundtable discussion in Santa Ana on March 31, 2026, showing his active engagement in the campaign.

Although polls closed on June 2, final results may take weeks. In the 2024 election, results weren’t certified until December, 38 days after the election. A new bipartisan law was passed in 2025, mandating that non-problematic votes be counted within 13 days.

California leads the country in mail-in ballots. In 2024, 81% of voters used mail-in ballots, nearly twice the national average of 43%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.