SouthernWorldwide.com – In the latest batch of California election results, former reality television star Spencer Pratt has seen his lead over incumbent Councilwoman Nithya Raman in the Los Angeles mayoral race diminish. Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has managed to hold onto his lead against Democratic contenders Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer.
The significance of California’s key elections has been amplified, particularly in the wake of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. These contests are now being viewed as crucial proving grounds for the future direction of progressive leadership nationwide.
Spencer Pratt, who is a registered Republican, is currently trailing behind the incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass. Bass has already secured a sufficient number of votes to advance to the November general election, effectively eliminating Pratt from contention for that spot.
According to the most recent vote count released on Thursday by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk, Pratt has garnered 163,549 votes. This places him with a lead of nearly 6% over Nithya Raman, who has accumulated 130,473 votes. These figures are based on the latest tabulation from Los Angeles County.
Regarding the race for governor, Republican Steve Hilton has maintained a narrow lead over Xavier Becerra, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services. As of Friday afternoon, Hilton has secured 1,533,435 votes, according to data from the California Secretary of State. Becerra is trailing with 1,470,100 votes.
Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer is in third place, with 1,139,517 votes, placing him behind both Hilton and Becerra in the gubernatorial contest.
Similar to the mayoral race, if no candidate in the gubernatorial election secures more than 50% of the total votes cast, the top two contenders will proceed to a runoff election scheduled for November. This ensures that the final decision will be made by voters in a later election.
Although California’s polls officially closed on June 2, the process of finalizing election results can be a lengthy one, potentially taking several weeks. For instance, the official final results from the 2024 election were not certified by State Secretary of State Shirley Weber until December, a full 38 days after the election.
To address the extended timeline for vote counting, a bipartisan bill was passed in 2025. This legislation mandates that “non-problematic” votes must be counted and reported within a 13-day period, aiming to expedite the process for clear ballots.
California stands out nationally for its high rate of mail-in ballot usage. In 2024, a significant 81% of voters chose to submit their ballots by mail. This figure is nearly double the national average of 43% for the same year, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, highlighting the state’s reliance on postal voting.
