A voter drops a ballot into an official ballot box inside City Hall during the primary election in San Francisco, California, USA, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Californians will vote in a primary election Tuesday to choose two finalists for governor and Los Angeles mayor, while also testing the direction of a newly redrawn Congress that could change the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The race for the top spot is widely seen as an open race for governor, with Gov. Gavin Newsom resigning and aiming to run for the White House in 2028. Sixty-one candidates are competing under the state’s “jungle primary,” with the top two vote-getters advancing regardless of party affiliation.
The latest polls show Democrats and former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra in the lead, with Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer and Republican TV personality Steve Hilton also vying for the right to advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Tuesday’s results will determine whether Democrats can avoid internal divisions and whether Republicans can capitalize on a divided electorate. Additionally, the primaries will be the first test of a new congressional map that could turn the midterm elections into a pivotal battle for control of Congress.
After President Trump urged Texas last year to draw new district maps aimed at flipping five Republican seats, Newsom countered with a voter-led initiative aimed at flipping California’s five seats into the Democratic column. Under California’s previous independent redistricting, Democrats already held a 43-9 advantage in the state’s legislative delegation.
Even in such a Democratic state, early polls in the gubernatorial race suggested the two Republicans could finish at the top, with Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco leading.
But if the polls are correct, with Becerra and Steyer near the top, Democrats could be poised to win both seats.
Since adopting a jungle primary in 2014, California has never nominated two Democrats for governor, although this has happened in other elections, including Kamala Harris’ 2016 Senate race.
On the Republican side, former Fox News host Hilton broke away from Bianco with support from President Donald Trump.
Democrats appeared to be rallying around Becerra after former front-runner Eric Swalwell withdrew from the race and resigned from Congress in April after being accused of sexual assault by a former staffer. Mr. Swalwell denied the allegations.
Mark Baldassare, director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California, said voters appear to value Becerra’s experience and see him as a safe candidate after Swalwell’s resignation.
“My message as attorney general defending California, especially on issues related to the Trump administration, seems to have resonated with many Democratic voters who overwhelmingly disapprove of President Trump’s job performance,” Baldassare said.
Mr. Steyer has billed himself as the most progressive of the Democratic front-runners and remains near the top of the polls after spending about $200 million of his own money on his campaign. He promised to impose more taxes on billionaires, including himself.
Other California races
Elsewhere on the ballot, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces more than a dozen opponents amid voter concerns about homelessness, affordability and the aftermath of the 2025 Palisades fire.
She is being challenged within her own party by City Council member Nitya Raman, but polls show reality TV personality Spencer Pratt as the leading Republican candidate.
Spencer Pratt, from left, Karen Bass and Nitya Raman appear on television as journalists work during the Los Angeles Mayoral Debate at the Skirball Cultural Center on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Jason Almond | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Among the congressional races, prognosticators say the 22nd District race in the agricultural Central Valley will be the closest, pitting Republican Rep. David Valadao against two Democrats seeking re-election, state Sen. Jasmeet Bains and educator Randy Villegas.
One seat Democrats hope to capture is the 48th District, after liberal Palm Springs was moved from its Riverside County district to inland San Diego County and Republican incumbent Darrell Issa decided not to seek re-election.
Voting will take place Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. PDT (14 p.m. to 3 p.m. Japan time), but final results in close races could take several days because California allows voters to mail in their ballots until Election Day.
