{"id":16196,"date":"2026-06-03T13:45:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T13:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/california-primary-2026-governor-los-angeles-mayor-and-key-races-head-into-a-close-race\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T13:45:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T13:45:50","slug":"california-primary-2026-governor-los-angeles-mayor-and-key-races-head-into-a-close-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/california-primary-2026-governor-los-angeles-mayor-and-key-races-head-into-a-close-race\/","title":{"rendered":"California Primary 2026: Governor, Los Angeles Mayor, and Key Races Head Into a Close Race"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>California voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 2, for one of the most closely watched primary elections of 2026. With a crowded field in the state\u2019s top\u2011two primary system, the results will shape the November ballot for governor, Los Angeles mayor, attorney general, congressional seats, and state legislative districts. As mail\u2011in ballots continue to arrive, the final outcome of many contests remains unsettled.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-governors-race-a-tight-contest\">The Governor\u2019s Race: A Tight Contest<\/h2>\n<p>The open\u2011seat race for governor has drawn a wide array of candidates from both parties. Early returns show former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary <strong>Xavier Becerra<\/strong> and Republican commentator <strong>Steve\u202fHilton<\/strong> leading the pack, while Democratic billionaire <strong>Tom\u202fSteyer<\/strong> lags behind the top two as the count progresses. According to CNN\u2019s live results, Hilton holds 27.8\u202f% of the vote and Becerra is close behind with 25.4\u202f%.<\/p>\n<p>With Governor <strong>Gavin Newsom<\/strong>\u2019s term ending, the race has become a focal point for voters concerned about housing affordability, homelessness, and public safety. The early data suggest that Becerra and Hilton are the most likely to advance to the November general election, but the margin is razor\u2011thin and could swing with the final mail\u2011in ballots.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"los-angeles-mayors-primary-bass-vs-pratt\">Los Angeles Mayor\u2019s Primary: Bass vs. Pratt<\/h2>\n<p>Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor <strong>Karen\u202fBass<\/strong> has secured a spot in the November runoff, according to multiple reports. Early returns show her leading the field with roughly one\u2011third of the vote. Meanwhile, reality\u2011TV personality <strong>Spencer\u202fPratt<\/strong> appears to be on track for the second runoff position, though ballots are still being counted.<\/p>\n<p>Pratt\u2019s campaign has gained traction by sharing his personal story of losing his home to the Palisades Fire last year. As Bass seeks a second term, the race has become a battle between an experienced political leader and a charismatic outsider with a compelling narrative.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"house-districts-and-other-key-races\">House Districts and Other Key Races<\/h2>\n<p>Beyond the statewide contests, several congressional and state legislative districts are also in the spotlight. In San Francisco, state Senator <strong>Scott\u202fWiener<\/strong> is leading the race to succeed retiring Representative <strong>Nancy\u202fPelosi<\/strong>. Other notable contests include the Attorney General\u2019s race, where the top candidates are still being determined, and a number of California House districts that could shift the balance of power in the state legislature.<\/p>\n<p>Below is a snapshot of the most closely watched races:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Governor:<\/strong> Xavier Becerra (D) vs. Steve Hilton (R)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Los Angeles Mayor:<\/strong> Karen Bass (D) vs. Spencer Pratt (R)<\/li>\n<li><strong>San Francisco House District:<\/strong> Scott Wiener (D) vs. <em>other challengers<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Attorney General:<\/strong> Candidates still undecided<\/li>\n<li><strong>California House Districts:<\/strong> Multiple races with tight margins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"mail-in-voting-and-the-top-two-system\">Mail\u2011In Voting and the Top\u2011Two System<\/h2>\n<p>California\u2019s mail\u2011in voting system is one of the most extensive in the country. Voters can receive a ballot by mail, fill it out at home, and return it either by mail or in person. Because<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 2, for one of the most closely watched primary elections of 2026. With a crowded field in the state\u2019s top\u2011two primary system, the results will shape the November ballot for governor, Los Angeles mayor, attorney general, congressional seats, and&#8230;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}