The race to become California's next governor remains unresolved as election officials continue counting ballots, a process that could take weeks. With incumbent Gavin Newsom term-limited, the top two candidates from the primary will advance to the general election in November.
Current Standings
British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton holds a narrow lead, followed by former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Billionaire Tom Steyer trails behind. Under California's primary system, the top two vote-getters will compete for the governorship.
Counting Process
State law requires counties to finish counting by June 15, but mail-in ballots postmarked by election day and received by June 9 are valid and can be processed beyond that deadline. An estimate of remaining unprocessed ballots is expected Thursday. Many Democratic voters held onto their mail-in ballots until election day, weighing which candidate had the best chance of reaching the top two slots.
Trump Endorses Hilton
Donald Trump declared victory for his favored candidate on Truth Social, congratulating Hilton for coming in first and urging Californians to elect him governor.
Other Developments
- Left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur was banned from entering the UK for a speaking engagement, calling the decision "haunting and hilarious" and "Kafkaesque."
- The U.S. House voted to force Trump to seek congressional approval for military action against Iran or withdraw forces.
- Trump reassured the public about progress on resurfacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and attacked CNN host Kaitlan Collins.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent refused to say whether Trump and his family would still get immunity from IRS audits and confirmed he threatened to beat up a fellow administration member.
