As California election officials move closer to certifying the results of the June 2 primary, the leading candidates for governor and Los Angeles mayor are solidifying their positions for the November general election. The state's nonpartisan "jungle primary" system places all candidates on a single ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing regardless of party affiliation.
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass has secured enough votes to advance to the general election. She is projected to be joined by Democratic City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who edged out Republican and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt as more ballots were counted.
As of June 9, Bass had received over 275,000 votes, Raman had more than 229,000, and Pratt remained in third with just over 207,000 votes. Election certification is scheduled for June 26.
The governor's race remains too close to call for second place, though former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, has already secured enough votes to advance.
Republican Steve Hilton holds second place with over 1.97 million votes, while Democrat Tom Steyer trails in third with more than 1.9 million votes, according to the California Secretary of State's office. The slow counting of mail-in ballots, a common feature of California elections, has delayed a final determination.
President Donald Trump has again made unsubstantiated claims that California's elections are "rigged," abruptly ending an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" on June 7 when challenged on the assertion. California election officials have explained that the vote-counting process takes longer due to the high volume of mail-in ballots, a practice that has been in place for years.