California primary results 2026: Did Spencer Pratt win? Latest as Nithya Raman closes gap for LA mayor runoff spot
Five days after California voters headed to the polls, two of the state’s most closely watched political contests remain unsettled.
California’s prolonged vote-counting process is keeping two high-profile races in the national spotlight, with reality television personality Spencer Pratt facing mounting pressure in the Los Angeles mayoral contest and billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer still trailing Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.
Read more: Spencer Pratt drops controversial video of homeless man by ballot box to slam Karen Bass and Nithya Raman
Spencer Pratt’s lead shrinks as ballots continue to be counted
According to the latest figures from Los Angeles County election officials, Mayor Karen Bass remains comfortably in first place with 34.81% of the vote and is virtually assured of advancing to the general election. The battle for second place, however, has tightened considerably.
The latest ballot count released by California election officials shows Pratt, best known for MTV’s The Hills, holding onto second place in the Los Angeles mayoral primary.
However, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has significantly narrowed the gap. Pratt currently holds 27.32% of the vote, while Raman has climbed to 26.21%.
Just days earlier, Pratt led Raman by more than three percentage points, but newly counted ballots have steadily favored the city council member. But the results favoring Pratt to secure a place in November’s general election is up in the air with the given poll updates.
California’s unique “jungle primary” system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation. That means Pratt, Raman and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass are effectively competing for two spots on the November ballot rather than battling within party lines.
The county processed nearly 157,000 additional ballots on June 6, bringing the total number counted to more than 1.77 million.
Read more: Who is winning California governor primary? Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra emerge ahead as race stays too close to call
Governor’s race remains unchanged as Hilton leads Steyer
The race to replace Governor Newsom has also attracted national attention.
Former US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has already secured one of the two spots in the general election. However, who will face him in November still remains the key question.
Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a British-born political commentator and former adviser to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, continues to hold second place. Hilton’s candidacy has received additional attention after he secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Hilton currently has approximately 26.1% of the vote, maintaining a lead over billionaire investor and climate activist Tom Steyer, who has climbed slightly to 21.3%.
Read more: Why Trump stormed out of NBC’s Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker: ‘You’re crooked, stupid’
Trump grows impatient
Trump’s interest in the California gubernatorial race remains unchanged. Trump has closely examined the sluggish counting after giving Hilton his prized endorsement against Sheriff Chad Bianco.
After in-person voting concluded on June 2, California state election authorities are currently processing primary votes postmarked before Election Day on June 7.
Trump has alleged irregularities in the process, accusing Democrats of “stealing votes,” without presenting evidence on his Truth Social media platform. However, state election officials have defended the system, citing California’s heavy reliance on vote-by-mail ballots.
Trump also had a heated exchange with the host of NBC Meet the Press host, Kristen Welker over the election results delay and accusations of election fraud.