Democratic Voters Acted Strategically in a Turbulent California Election

[RandySF]

After a turbulent primary campaign, Xavier Becerra, a former Biden administration official, was on the verge of pulling off a Lazarus-like comeback in the California governor’s race, based on election night returns.

And Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Trump, also appeared likely to advance to the general election for the state’s highest office.

The race was still too close to call on Tuesday night. But Los Angeles residents went to bed knowing that Mayor Karen Bass would proceed to the November election, according to The Associated Press. And her opponent could be Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star who had a strong showing but had to wait for more ballots to be counted.

Mr. Pratt and Mr. Hilton, both Republicans who got their start in television, tried to harness voter frustration and anger at the Democrats who control nearly all levels of government in much of California. If they advance, however, each would face long odds in general election races where Democrats have dominated for decades.




https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/us/politics/california-primary-elections-early-takeaways.html

[niyad]

1. For a party that hates immigrants, there were sure a lot of votes

for former British citizen hilton.