California voters waited eagerly for results in key primary elections, including the governor and Los Angeles mayoral races, as ballot counting continued over 36 hours after polls closed on Tuesday night.
With California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the highest votes move on to the November general election, regardless of party.
Governor’s Race
As of Thursday morning, CBS News had not yet projected any candidates to advance in the race to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, appeared likely to advance. Democratic billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer also remained a contender, as the counting continued.
Hilton, branding himself as the “change” candidate, viewed his early success as indicative of Californians’ desires. “We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good,” Hilton said. “It looks like Californians will have the chance to vote for change in November.” Becerra expressed confidence, stating he was “on track to advance to November.” Several Democrats conceded following early results, including former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. Republican Chad Bianco had not conceded as of Thursday morning.
Uncertainty in Los Angeles
CBS News projected that Mayor Karen Bass would advance to a November runoff as she seeks reelection. Her opponent remained undetermined. Bass faced challenges from Spencer Pratt, a former TV star and fire survivor, and city council member Nithya Raman. Polls indicated a close contest among all three candidates.
“I haven’t seen a race this close in decades, especially for Los Angeles,” campaign strategist Luis Alvarado mentioned. Despite the tight competition, a strong early showing secured Bass the CBS News projection on Tuesday night. Pratt’s initial gains slowed with subsequent Los Angeles County ballot reports.
Counting Timeline
The California Secretary of State allows counties 30 days to count ballots provisionally. Mail-in votes postmarked by election day are counted if received within seven days.
- Los Angeles County: Updates expected Thursday between 4-5 p.m. PT
- Orange County: Thursday by 5 p.m. PT
- 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