California’s primary elections remain unresolved for several key races, including the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral contests.
By Thursday morning, Republican Steve Hilton leads the gubernatorial race with approximately 28% of the votes. Xavier Becerra, a former Biden official, follows with 25%, while billionaire Tom Steyer holds 20%.
In Los Angeles, the mayor’s race is also undecided. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured a spot for the November election. Her rival, Spencer Pratt, held second place early Wednesday morning. However, more votes need counting.
In California, only the top two candidates in state primaries proceed to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation.
Gubernatorial Race Still in Play
Candidates made appeals over the weekend to voters before Los Angeles’ mayoral primary. Hilton and Becerra lead the gubernatorial race, awaiting complete vote counts.
Pratt received 30% of the mayoral vote by Wednesday morning, with left-wing candidate Nithya Raman at 22%.
“This idea that I don’t represent everyone in Los Angeles is something I’ll address,” Pratt stated. “I’ve stepped up, and I want to prove I’m everyone’s mayor,” he added.
Concerns Over Vote Counting
California routinely faces criticism for slow election processing, with unresolved results days after June elections.
Political analyst Nate Silver commented, “The prolonged vote count in California is rare in global electoral systems. This delay is a failure and should not be acceptable.”
The state’s reliance on mail voting and a thorough review process contribute to lengthy counts. California law validates mail-in ballots that arrive up to a week after election day if postmarked correctly.
In close primaries, this method can leave voters waiting weeks for election outcomes.
Rep. Kevin Kiley stated, “Every other state manages timely vote counts. California’s failure in election administration is embarrassing and highlights broader state issues.”