California Primary: Governor and LA Mayor Races Head to Election Day with No Clear Leaders

California is heading into its primary election on Tuesday with two high-profile races marked by uncertainty and outsider candidates challenging the state's Democratic stronghold. In the governor's race, former Fox News host and British political adviser Steve Hilton is urging Republicans to unite behind him as he competes for one of two spots in the November election alongside Democrats Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate activist, and Xavier Becerra, former state attorney general.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt is hoping to upset Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, with both candidates closely followed by progressive City Council member Nithya Raman.

Hilton has warned of a "doomsday scenario" where only Democrats advance, potentially dampening Republican turnout across the state. He has called on his main Republican rival, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, to drop out, but Bianco has refused.

Mail-in voting began in early May, but only 15% of ballots have been returned as of Sunday, leaving room for last-minute shifts.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Bass faces a tough reelection bid after a shaky first term marked by homelessness and the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades Fire, the most destructive in city history. Bass was in Ghana when the fire broke out, while Pratt lost his home in the blaze and has made recovery a central campaign issue.

A UC Berkeley poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times shows Bass, Raman, and Pratt in a tight cluster with no clear leader.

The governor's race features over 50 candidates, including former U.S. Rep.

Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and Bianco. Steyer has set spending records, while Hilton promises to cut costs in a state with high gas prices and taxes.

Becerra emphasizes his experience as a former U.S. health secretary and attorney general.

Democrats have not lost a statewide race in two decades, and Republicans last won the Los Angeles mayor's office in 1997.