Becerra Advances in California Governor Primary as 26% Hilton Lead and LA Mayor No. 2 Stay Unsettled
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 6
Becerra Advances in California Governor Primary as 26% Hilton Lead and LA Mayor No. 2 Stay Unsettled
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 6
Summary
Xavier Becerra was projected Friday to reach November’s general election in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, while the second gubernatorial spot and Los Angeles mayoral challenger remained uncalled.
Steve Hilton held second in the governor’s race with just over 26% of the vote to Tom Steyer’s 21%, while in Los Angeles Spencer Pratt still led Nithya Raman for second but his margin kept narrowing.
Karen Bass had already been projected to advance in the mayoral race after drawing nationwide scrutiny over her handling of the January 2025 Palisades Fire, which helped turn the contest into a rare serious challenge to an incumbent.
California’s top-two system and slow count of millions of vote-by-mail ballots — accepted if postmarked by Election Day and received within 7 days — have delayed final matchups in the state’s marquee races.
The primary also shapes congressional contests redrawn under Proposition 50, a Democratic-backed effort to make 5 U.S. House seats more favorable ahead of the 2026 midterms.