As vote counting continues following Tuesday’s statewide primary election, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are headed for a gubernatorial runoff in November, while a number of county and congressional races were in play.
Hilton and Becerra outpaced a large field of competitors in the primary.
With returns still being counted throughout California, Hilton had 1,387,459 votes, or 27.8%, as of Wednesday afternoon, while Becerra had 1,267,375 votes, or 25.4%, according to the latest election results from California Secretary of State’s Office.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, a Democrat, was in third place with 979,265 votes, or 19.6%.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was fourth with 567,033, or 11.3% of counted votes.
Hilton is a political strategist and observer who worked for former British Prime Minister David Cameron and Fox News. A California resident for 15 years, his central campaign themes have been tax reductions, spending limits and reducing bureaucratic red tape.
Hilton addressed supporters Tuesday night in Huntington Beach, standing on a stage with the words “Change is Coming” behind him.
“It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction, a fresh start for our state, which is long overdue,” Hilton said. “But I just want to say something to every single person who voted for me, and every single person who voted in this election, whether you voted for me or not. I am here for you, for every single one of you.”
Hilton has criticized Becerra over a campaign finance scandal involving two employees caught misappropriating funds. Becerra has denied any knowledge of the alleged wrongdoing.
Becerra listed his priorities if elected — “fighting Donald Trump”; delivering affordable healthcare “without debt or delays”; building more affordable housing; using “the power of the state to lower prices where the market has failed,” ensuring artificial intelligence “that works for everyone” and governing “differently” in the effort to curb homelessness, which he said was “a moral emergency and policy failure.”
Becerra is a former state attorney general and former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“The California dream? It’s alive tonight,” Becerra told his supporters in Los Angeles Tuesday.
He said his campaign was “fueled by little more than grassroots support, some sweat equity and the full faith and confidence that California is always worth the fight.”
Becerra characterized himself as an earlier outlier in the race who went on to become the front-runner.
“Almost immediately, he’s counted out, an afterthought, overlooked by many, outspent by a ton,” Becerra said. “Even called along the way to drop out and save us all the trouble. Well guess what, the underdog stayed in the fight. Like my parents, I never gave up, never stopped putting one foot in front of the other, never stopped believing in the beacon-like goodness of California, and thankfully, neither did you. Because we know the true miracle of Democracy is this — after all the exhausting ads are run, the pundits are spun and the billionaires trying to buy their way in, it’s the people, only the people who get the last word. And tonight the people of the great state of California in the greatest nation on Earth have spoken, loudly and proudly.”
It was unclear how many ballots still need to be counted. Pundits are predicting the later vote tallies to skew Democratic, likely propelling Becerra into the governor’s mansion. If elected, he would be the the second Latino governor of California since U.S. statehood — José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco was governor from Feb. 27 to Dec. 9, 1875, when then-Gov. Newton Booth moved on to the U.S. Senate.
Horvath reelected; Durazo to join county board
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath was preparing Wednesday for a second term after easily outpacing three challengers for her seat, while state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo appeared headed to victory in the race for the board office being vacated by termed-out Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Five candidates were vying in Tuesday’s election to replace Solis.
Durazo had 106,664 votes, or 56.6%, with vote counting still underway as of Wednesday evening, which was the latest update on election results from the county Registrar of Voter’s Office. If Durazo maintains more than 50% of the vote when all ballots are fully tallied, she will take the seat outright forgoing the need for a runoff election in November.
It was unclear how many ballots remain uncounted.
“This campaign was powered by working people and small business owners who believe LA County can do better,” Durazo said in a statement Tuesday night. “In the state Senate I fought for fair wages and health care. As your county supervisor, I will renew that work with urgency, compassion and a promise to make this government serve its people.”
Elaine Alaniz, a disaster recovery specialist and member of the Westlake North Neighborhood Council, was a distant second with 29,133 votes, or 15.5%.
David Argudo, a La Puente City Council member, former U.S. Marine and lifelong county resident, received 20,770 votes, or 11%.
Noel Almario, a birth doula and advocate for maternal health, and Annabella Figueroa Mazariegos, a county employee, were also candidates in the District 1 contest.
The District includes Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, downtown LA and areas of the western San Gabriel Valley. A longtime union and labor leader, Durazo also was secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and served on the city of LA Airport Commission.
The latest figures show Horvath had 170,855 votes, or 63.1%, and will avoid a runoff.
Horvath, who previously served on the West Hollywood City Council, issued a statement claiming victory Tuesday evening.
“Voters have once again sent a clear message: results matter, accountability matters, and delivering real change matters,” Horvath said. “I’m honored by the trust that voters have in our fight for a county that works for everyone, and I am grateful for every voter, volunteer, and supporter who made this victory possible. Angelenos expect their County government to tackle our toughest challenges with urgency and integrity, and public trust only comes through transparency and accountability.
“We will continue to deliver. Business as usual is over. Now, we get back to work.”
Realtor Tonia Arey received 50,340 votes, or 18.6%. She said she joined the race because Palisades Fire recovery is not happening swiftly enough and what she said was a lack of urgency from the county government.
Carmenlina Minasyan, a doctor who said she has practiced medicine in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Armenia and Tomás Sidenfaden, a businessman and software engineer, each received less than 10% of the vote.
Sheriff’s rematch
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna is heading into a November runoff against former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who he unseated in the 2022 election.
Luna had 546,184 votes, or 44.4%, compared with Villanueva’s 296,512, or 24.1%, according to the latest voter registrar.
Other challengers included sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Strong, retired Capt. Mike Bornman, Sgt. Karla Carranza, former Assistant Sheriff Brendan Corbett, sheriff’s Lt. Oscar Martinez and André White, an LASD gang detective.
County Assessor Jeffrey Prang scored a second term Tuesday, defeating property assessment specialist Stephen Adamus, real estate appraiser Rob Newland, tax consultant Steven Palty and Deputy Assessor Sandy Sun.
Election results for Los Angeles County are available at results.lavote.gov/#year=2026&election=4338.
Foley, Dixon possibly headed for runoff for OC board seat
After an update Wednesday, Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, went from 48.96% to 48.54% of the vote, with Orange County District 5 Supervisor Katrina Foley inching up from 45.08% to 45.45%.
Votes for Lucy Vellema, a special education instructor, increased from 5.97% to 6.02%.
Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page said an estimated 197,350 ballots need processing, including 44,600 vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Tuesday, 60,400 from drop-boxes and 89,600 from vote-by-mail ballots returned to vote centers.
Ballots picked up by the U.S. Postal Service also will continue to roll in until Tuesday, June 9, which is the final day to tally votes, Page said.
Orange County election results are online at ocvote.gov/results/current-election-results.
Calvert, other incumbents lead in redrawn congressional districts
Returns from the June 2 primary election showed several candidates leading Wednesday afternoon in the six newly redrawn congressional districts that include portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
In the race for the reshaped 40th Congressional District, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, was leading with 42%, according to election returns.
The incumbent, who has been in office since the 1990s, was pushed out of his old 41st District, forced to compete directly with another incumbent, Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim, who was second with 16%. Six other candidates are in the race, though the two incumbents are favored.
Most of the district’s territory is in Orange County, but the eastern boundary reaches into Riverside County, including the Temescal Valley, most of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake and Menifee.
Calvert’s three-decade domain of northwest Riverside County, including Corona, Eastvale and Norco, was shifted into the 35th Congressional District, where Rep. Norma Torres, D-Ontario, trailed Republican businessman Mike Cargile. As of Wednesday, Cargile had 56% and Torres 43%.
Most of the 35th District is in San Bernardino County.
The local race with the largest number of candidates and also no incumbent is in the new 48th Congressional District, which includes the Anza and Hemet valleys, the Southwest cities and some of the region’s mountain communities. The ballot lists 12 candidates, including one independent.
Returns showed Republican Jim Desmond leading with 36% of the vote, followed by Democrat Marni von Wilpert who received 19%.
Another congressional race without an incumbent is in the new 23rd Congressional District, which overlays several parts of Riverside County in the San Gorgonio Pass, the Palo Verde Valley and around Blythe. The rest of the sizable district is situated in San Bernardino County. Three Democrats, one Republican and two independents sought the office.
Vote tallying showed Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte with a commanding lead in the 23rd District with 62%.
The 39th Congressional District, which Proposition 50 redistricting changed slightly, still includes Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, some of the outlying communities just west of Perris, Lake Elsinore and the freeway communities north of Moreno Valley. Democrat Rep. Mark Takano, the incumbent, was solidly in the lead 56% to 44%. versus former Lake Elsinore Mayor Steve Manos, a Republican challenger.
The 25th Congressional District located farther east was realigned but mostly left intact throughout the Coachella Valley. Incumbent Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Coachella, significantly outpaced Republican challengers Hemet Mayor Joe Males, business owner Ceci Truman and Ronald Huffman, an electrical contractor.
The House districts were reshaped and in most cases renumbered for Tuesday’s election as a result of California voters’ passage of Proposition 50 in the special election last November. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats in the State Legislature launched the voter initiative to amend the state’s constitution to permit lawmakers to redraw congressional district boundaries, even though the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission had already established district lines after the 2020 Census.
Proposition 50 supporters said it was a necessary response to redrawn districts in Texas intended to help President Donald Trump with Republican gains in the midterm elections.
Opponents said the measure was blatant “gerrymandering.”
The 52 congressional districts in California saw modified boundaries, including all of Riverside County’s.
Election results from Riverside County are available at voteinfo.net/june-2-2026-primary-election.
San Bernardino County election information is at elections.sbcounty.gov.
