California’s race for governor and other key primaries remain unsettled as vote count continues
California’s governor primary and several House and local races were still undecided as vote counting continued Wednesday.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
With only about half the expected vote counted, California’s crowded top-two governor primary remained too close to call, while several House and Los Angeles races were also still unsettled. The slow count could delay clarity on which candidates advance to November and what those matchups look like.
California is still counting its votes, so the scoreboard is not finished yet. It is like a school race where the last runners are still crossing the line, and nobody knows for sure who gets into the next round.
Analysis
California’s governor race is still open
NBC News’ Decision Desk said the state’s crowded gubernatorial primary was too early to call with about 50% of the expected vote counted. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton led with 27%, followed by former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at 26% and billionaire activist Tom Steyer at 20%. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco trailed in fourth at 11%.
California uses a top-two primary, so the two highest vote-getters from the same all-party ballot advance to the November general election. Because the state counts ballots slowly, it was not yet clear when the final pair would be known.
Other races remain unresolved
The unfinished count also left several other contests hanging. In Los Angeles, NBC News projected Mayor Karen Bass to advance to a runoff, but the second runoff slot was still undecided. Bass led with about 37%, while Republican Spencer Pratt had 29% and city council member Nithya Raman had 21%.
Several House races were also still unsettled. In California’s 22nd District, school board member Randy Villegas led state legislator Jasmeet Bains 30% to 26% for the second spot behind incumbent GOP Rep. David Valadao. In the 6th District, Republican Michael Stansfield was narrowly ahead of Democrat Richard Pan in a race with major general-election implications.
Wider implications
The article also noted unfinished primaries in other states, including Montana’s 1st District and California races tied to well-known political figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Scott Wiener, Ken Calvert, and Young Kim. The common thread is that the slow count is postponing a clearer picture of November’s battlegrounds.
Key points
- California’s governor primary was too early to call with about half the expected vote counted.
- Steve Hilton led the field, with Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer close behind.
- Several California House races were still undecided and could affect next year’s House majority.
- NBC News projected Karen Bass to advance in Los Angeles, but the second runoff spot remained open.
- The article also highlighted unresolved primaries in Montana and high-profile California districts.
If the remaining ballots break cleanly, the state will quickly settle its top-two matchups and give voters a clearer choice for November. That could also bring more certainty to closely watched House races and the Los Angeles mayoral runoff picture.
If the count stays slow and close, these races could remain unsettled for days and keep campaigns in limbo. Tight margins could also intensify disputes over which candidates advance and prolong uncertainty in contests that matter for House control.
