California holds major gubernatorial and mayoral primary elections today

California holds a statewide top-two primary election on June 2, 2026, with 61 candidates on the ballot for governor and contentious races for Los Angeles mayor and other statewide offices.

Objective Facts

The statewide top-two primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026. There are 61 candidates on the ballot, with Democrat Xavier Becerra leading with 25% support, followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 21%, and Democrat Tom Steyer trailing closely at 19%. California holds all-party primaries, where the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election. In Los Angeles, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt is challenging Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, with the two tightly clustered alongside City Councilmember Nithya Raman. Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006, but the fragmented Democratic field in this year's primary could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra told supporters at a San Francisco rally that "At the end of the day, we're going to win, because we did it with family," while remaining cautious about the final outcome and emphasizing his longtime political experience. Billionaire Tom Steyer, the second-leading Democrat, has invested more than $216 million of his personal fortune into his campaign, stating "The only people I'm working for are working Californians" and rejecting money from major corporations. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan positioned himself as a "pragmatic alternative within the Democratic Party," while former Representative Katie Porter focused her message on lowering costs, proposing "eliminating taxes for Californians earning less than $100,000". Democratic candidates have responded with loud criticism of the Trump administration at debates, with Xavier Becerra declaring "We need someone who's going to fight Donald Trump, not agree with him," particularly regarding Trump's decision to federalize the National Guard in California as part of an immigration crackdown. In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, pursuing her second term after a tumultuous first marked by devastating wildfires, focused her reelection campaign on progress made such as decreased homelessness, attacking Spencer Pratt on Instagram livestream as "a failed reality TV star who wants to be famous" and referencing "what it means if you put somebody who is a reality TV star in a seat of power". City Councilmember Nithya Raman's campaign focused partly on affordability and infrastructure, with both Raman and Pratt attacking Bass for her response to the wildfires. Left-leaning analysis by Rob Pyers of the California Target Book noted that "Trump's endorsement of Steve Hilton likely frees up tens of millions of dollars for Democratic groups who would have otherwise had to spend heavily to elevate one of the two leading GOP gubernatorial candidates to avoid a Democratic lockout", suggesting Democrats benefited strategically from Trump's endorsement consolidating Republican votes. Time magazine reported that "The race has triggered some concerns among Democrats that the party could be locked out of the general election in November if the vote is split between the large number of Democratic candidates, though experts have told TIME that that possibility is unlikely".

Right-Leaning Perspective

At an East Los Angeles College debate, Steve Hilton characterized his campaign as offering "fresh thinking after 16 years of one-party rule," promising to eliminate state income taxes on the first $100,000 of earned income and encourage construction of more affordable housing through tax breaks and establishing a state loan program for first-time buyers. Hilton declared "We cannot keep going in this direction, with Democrats constantly going for their insatiable appetite for more and more taxes for their bottomless money pit," while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco repeatedly blasted Democrats controlling every statewide office, saying "They're raising your taxes, they're spending more and more of your money because they refuse to stop the spending". Both Republicans emphasized affordability messaging: Hilton wanted to cut taxes and car registration fees, while Bianco vowed to bring down gas prices by encouraging oil production in the state. Spencer Pratt's mayoral campaign gained support from some prominent Democrats for his outsider status and communications savvy, with political strategist Mathew Littman of HowLitt crediting Pratt with understanding how to break through with a communications message. After his May 6 debate exceeded expectations given his lack of political experience, his candidacy gained attention from national media including ABC News and Fox News Digital, and President Trump expressed backing saying "I hear he's been a big MAGA person". Pratt positioned himself as offering "effective crisis leadership" requiring "decisive action, operational discipline, and a commitment to protecting lives and property, not photo ops or bureaucratic delays," promising "a streamlined chain of command that empowers first responders, cuts out middlemen, and gets resources to the front lines without delay". At the California GOP convention, party faithfuls including GOP chair Corrin Rankin remained convinced that both Hilton and Bianco would continue to outperform a "dysfunctional field of Democrats," with Rankin stating "I don't see why that wouldn't still be the case" and that "Californians see that these two Republicans are better than any of the candidates the Democrats are offering," while expressing surprise that Trump "weighed in on anything California-related".

Deep Dive

California is a Democratic stronghold where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one and Republicans have not won a statewide office since 2011, yet thanks to the state's jungle primary system, Republicans are frontrunners to potentially advance to the general election. No fewer than 24 Democrats will appear on the primary ballot, and the field lacks a standout. Political science professor Schnur observed "There has not been a campaign for California governor in modern political history with this large of a field of candidates, or with such an amorphous field to choose from". In April, then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was considered to be the frontrunner in the crowded field of Democratic candidates, suspended his campaign after several allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Swalwell's exit from the gubernatorial race sparked speculation about which other Democratic candidates would emerge as the most likely figure to replace Newsom. Some Democrats have been concerned that the large number of Democratic candidates could split the vote, potentially leading to a scenario where the two Republicans—Hilton and Chad Bianco—would be the only candidates on the ballot in November. But experts say they think it's unlikely that California will have two Republicans on the ballot in November. Recent surveys show Republican Steve Hilton remains a leading contender, though his advantage has narrowed as Democratic support centers around former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. A California Democratic Party-sponsored survey found Hilton and Becerra tied at 18 percent, marking the first time a Democrat has shared the lead in the party's tracking polls. The possibility of two Republicans winning became far less likely once President Trump endorsed Mr. Hilton, effectively stranding the other Republican in the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Spencer Pratt's willingness to be raw and provocative on the bet that authenticity is the coin of today's political realm helps explain growing buzz—particularly among Republicans who see in Pratt traits similar to those that catapulted Donald Trump into the White House twice. But it might severely limit Pratt's ability to win a general election once voters narrow the field to two candidates in a city where Trump is deeply unpopular. The latest UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll showed an extremely close three-way race with Bass at 26%, Councilmember Nithya Raman at 25% and Spencer Pratt at 22% among likely voters, demonstrating the compressed nature of all three major races.

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California holds major gubernatorial and mayoral primary elections today

California holds a statewide top-two primary election on June 2, 2026, with 61 candidates on the ballot for governor and contentious races for Los Angeles mayor and other statewide offices.

Jun 2, 2026
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What's Going On

The statewide top-two primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026. There are 61 candidates on the ballot, with Democrat Xavier Becerra leading with 25% support, followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 21%, and Democrat Tom Steyer trailing closely at 19%. California holds all-party primaries, where the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election. In Los Angeles, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt is challenging Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, with the two tightly clustered alongside City Councilmember Nithya Raman. Republicans have not won a statewide race in California since 2006, but the fragmented Democratic field in this year's primary could allow two Republicans to advance to the general election.

Left says: Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra is leading in polls though remaining cautious, while emphasizing his decades of experience against opponents lacking electoral credentials. Karen Bass emphasizes progress on homelessness and crime while attacking Spencer Pratt as an unqualified reality TV star.
Right says: Republicans blame 16 years of Democratic rule for California's affordability crisis and propose tax cuts and deregulation as solutions. Spencer Pratt's media-savvy campaign emphasizing outsider status and public safety has gained Trump's endorsement and national attention.
✓ Common Ground
Both Democratic and Republican candidates across the gubernatorial race centered their campaigns on affordability as a top concern for Californians heading into the June 2 primary.
Multiple candidates from both parties acknowledged that the next California governor will face significant challenges including high housing costs and economic fallout from AI in the tech and entertainment industries.
Observers across the political spectrum noted there would likely be strong turnout for a non-presidential election given the high level of attention on both the mayoral and gubernatorial races.
In the LA mayoral race, both Bass and Pratt strategists acknowledged no candidate is likely to top 50% in the primary, making a November runoff between the top two finishers necessary.
Objective Deep Dive

California is a Democratic stronghold where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one and Republicans have not won a statewide office since 2011, yet thanks to the state's jungle primary system, Republicans are frontrunners to potentially advance to the general election. No fewer than 24 Democrats will appear on the primary ballot, and the field lacks a standout. Political science professor Schnur observed "There has not been a campaign for California governor in modern political history with this large of a field of candidates, or with such an amorphous field to choose from". In April, then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was considered to be the frontrunner in the crowded field of Democratic candidates, suspended his campaign after several allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Swalwell's exit from the gubernatorial race sparked speculation about which other Democratic candidates would emerge as the most likely figure to replace Newsom.

Some Democrats have been concerned that the large number of Democratic candidates could split the vote, potentially leading to a scenario where the two Republicans—Hilton and Chad Bianco—would be the only candidates on the ballot in November. But experts say they think it's unlikely that California will have two Republicans on the ballot in November. Recent surveys show Republican Steve Hilton remains a leading contender, though his advantage has narrowed as Democratic support centers around former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. A California Democratic Party-sponsored survey found Hilton and Becerra tied at 18 percent, marking the first time a Democrat has shared the lead in the party's tracking polls. The possibility of two Republicans winning became far less likely once President Trump endorsed Mr. Hilton, effectively stranding the other Republican in the race, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Spencer Pratt's willingness to be raw and provocative on the bet that authenticity is the coin of today's political realm helps explain growing buzz—particularly among Republicans who see in Pratt traits similar to those that catapulted Donald Trump into the White House twice. But it might severely limit Pratt's ability to win a general election once voters narrow the field to two candidates in a city where Trump is deeply unpopular. The latest UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll showed an extremely close three-way race with Bass at 26%, Councilmember Nithya Raman at 25% and Spencer Pratt at 22% among likely voters, demonstrating the compressed nature of all three major races.

◈ Tone Comparison

Republicans use contemptuous language about Democratic governance—"insatiable appetite for more and more taxes" and "bottomless money pit"—treating Democratic policies as fundamentally fraudulent. Democrats respond with dismissive language targeting Republican candidates personally, with Bass calling Pratt "a failed reality TV star" who poses an existential threat to good governance.