California Primary Election Results Pending Amid Ongoing Ballot Count
California voters are anxiously waiting for the results of key primary elections, including the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races. Workers are still counting ballots more than 36 hours after the primary polls closed.
California’s Top-Two Primary System
Under this system, the two candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliations.
“Workers count ballots during the 2026 California primary election at the Ballot processing center on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in City of Industry, CA. Election results have begun rolling in as ballots across California are being counted.” – Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Governor’s Race Update
As of Thursday morning, CBS News has not projected any candidates to advance in the governor’s race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited. Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra appear to be leading the race, while Democratic environmentalist Tom Steyer aims for a late surge.
Steve Hilton has emphasized his role as a “change” candidate. “We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good,” Hilton said. “It looks very much like Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November.” Meanwhile, Xavier Becerra expressed confidence about advancing to November.
High-profile Democrats like former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have conceded. As of Thursday morning, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, another key Republican candidate, had not conceded.
Los Angeles Mayoral Race
In Los Angeles, CBS News projects that Mayor Karen Bass will advance to a runoff election in November. The identity of her opponent remains undetermined. The race, involving Bass, Spencer Pratt, and Nithya Raman, is tight, with all candidates nearly tied within the margin of error according to polls.
Campaign strategist Luis Alvarado remarked, “I haven’t seen a race this close in decades, especially for the city of Los Angeles.” Mayor Karen Bass showed a strong early performance, leading to the CBS News projection on Tuesday night. Although Spencer Pratt initially showed strength, his progress slowed with new ballot counts.
Counting Timeline for California Primary Votes
The California Secretary of State allows counties 30 days to count ballots provisionally. Mail-in votes must be postmarked by election day and will be counted if received within seven days. Major counties are providing their next updates on the following schedule:
- Los Angeles County: Thursday between 4-5 p.m. PT
- Orange County: Thursday by 5 p.m.
- San Diego County: Thursday by 6 p.m. PT
- Riverside County: Thursday by 6 p.m. PT
- San Bernardino County: Thursday by 4 p.m. PT
- Santa Clara County: Thursday by 5 p.m. PT
- San Mateo County: Thursday by 4:30 p.m. PT
- San Francisco City and County: Thursday by 4 p.m. PT
- Marin County: Thursday by 5 p.m. PT
- Sacramento County: Friday by 4:15 p.m. PT