...
By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Republicans Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt's chances of advancing—in California's gubernatorial and Los Angeles' mayoral primaries respectively—are declining, as the primary contests remain unresolved days after polls closed, with ballots still being counted.
California puts all candidates on the same ballot regardless of party and two advance to the November election. The current margins remain narrow enough that late-counted votes—in a state where mail-in ballots are common—could still shift the result. The prolonged vote count has invited criticism, including from President Donald Trump who has accused Democrats of "cheating."
In Los Angeles, while incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has secured a place for the November election, the contest for second place remains too close to call between reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican, and Democratic City Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose odds to advance are 18 percent and 82 percent respectively, according to prediction market Polymarket. On Thursday, Pratt's chances stood at 34 percent.
Read More on Politics
At the same time, the race to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom also remains unsettled, with Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra leading early returns.
On Friday, Hilton had odds of 52 percent, down from 69 percent on Thursday. He is tied with Democratic candidate Tom Steyer, billionaire investor-turned-climate activist. Meanwhile, Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former Health and Human Services secretary, sees his odds of advancing at 99 percent.
...
Where the Races Stand
In Los Angeles, Bass leads the mayoral race with about 35 percent of the vote, while Pratt trails with roughly 29 percent and Raman with around 23 percent— with 64 percent of the vote counted as of Friday morning.
While Bass’ place in the runoff has been projected, The Associated Press has not yet called who will join her.
Pratt, backed by President Donald Trump, has remained in second place since Election Night, but Raman has been closing the gap gradually as additional ballots are counted.
In the governor’s race, Hilton has led early returns—at 27 percent—with Becerra trailing closely behind with 26 percent and Democrat Tom Steyer in third at 20— with 60 percent of the vote counted.
California’s Slow Vote Count Explained
Under California’s “top-two” primary system, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
California’s election system routinely delays final results due to its heavy reliance on mail-in voting and extended ballot acceptance rules.
Ballots are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days, significantly lengthening the counting process.
Election workers must also verify signatures and process millions of ballots, which can take days or even weeks in close races.
Officials say the system prioritizes accuracy and voter access over speed, but it also means early results can shift as additional votes are tabulated.
Criticism From Trump
The slow pace has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from Trump who has alleged that Democrats are manipulating the results.
In posts on Truth Social and remarks in the Oval Office, Trump said Democrats were “trying to steal” both the Los Angeles mayoral and California gubernatorial primaries as late ballots are counted.
“There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California,” the president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday night, without providing evidence, using a mocking nickname for the party.
He questioned why the results could take weeks and suggested federal authorities were investigating the delay, though no such probe has been confirmed.
Newsom and Officials Push Back
California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, have rejected those claims and defended the integrity of the process.
Newsom’s press office has emphasized that the state’s system is designed to ensure every valid ballot is counted, even if that takes longer than in other states.
Newsom’s Office official X account responded to the president’s accusations of cheating, saying: “Trump is lying about California again—time to take the phone away from grandpa and put him to sleep.”
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said “accuracy comes before speed,” noting the scale of the state’s election system and the need to properly verify ballots.
Officials have warned that delays can create space for misinformation but insist the extended timeline is a feature—not a flaw—of the system.
Late Ballots Could Still Shift the Outcome
A key factor in both races is the volume and composition of remaining ballots.
Late-arriving mail votes and provisional ballots often lean more Democratic, meaning they could boost candidates like Raman or narrow gaps in other contests as counting continues.
With hundreds of thousands of ballots still to be processed in California, final outcomes in both the Los Angeles mayoral race and the governor’s contest may not be known for several more days.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines