California’s primary election results remain uncertain for several key races as of Wednesday. This includes the highly anticipated gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races. By Thursday morning, in the gubernatorial race, Republican Steve Hilton led with about 28% of the vote. Close behind were Democratic candidates Xavier Becerra, a former Biden official, with 25%, and billionaire Tom Steyer with 20%.
The Los Angeles mayoral race is also proving close, though incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has already secured her place in the November election. Spencer Pratt, a challenger, held the second position early Wednesday. However, more votes need to be counted before the results are clear.
California law mandates that only the two top-performing candidates move forward to the general election in November, irrespective of their political parties.
“This idea that I don’t represent Democrats and Republicans and independents — anyone that’s just a Los Angeles citizen that wants basic quality of life — I’ll be able to show that in five months,” Pratt stated.
He added, “I’m an Angeleno who said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and I had to step up. I’m going to show everybody that I’m their mayor.”
Critics, including the Republican National Committee, have expressed frustration with California’s delayed election results. Steve Hilton, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, commented during a town hall in Santa Ana that the state’s slow counting processes are not typical worldwide. Political analyst Nate Silver echoed this sentiment, describing the delay as problematic and indicative of a lack of efficiency.
California’s extended counting period is due to its reliance on mail voting and comprehensive checks. Every registered voter receives a mail-in ballot, and ballots arriving up to a week post-election day are counted if postmarked by election day. This system, while thorough, can delay results in tightly contested races.
Kevin Kiley, an independent representative, criticized the state’s handling of election logistics, calling it embarrassing and a reflection of broader administrative problems in California.
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