The Red Wave is REAL! California’s Primary Election Results
California’s primary election is over, and the preliminary results are showing a massive red wave rolling across our state. Multiple races show Republicans taking the lead, bringing momentum and energy to conservatives who want to see our state head in a different direction this November. While critics have been consistent to say that there is no way California can ever change from its blue roots, the overwhelming evidence instead supports the reality that Californians are tired of the decline and destruction of their beautiful state – and it might finally be enough to make them vote for something different.
Preliminary Election Results
As of the date of writing this article (Wednesday, June 3rd), we have started to see preliminary results of ballots being counted in each major race for our state. It is important that I give the disclaimer that these results are based off roughly 50-60% of the votes being counted, meaning there is still a significant portion of ballots that will surely influence the final outcomes of each race. Nonetheless, we can still see the direction that each race is headed in, and that direction – across the board – has seemed RED.
Let’s start with what I’m sure is the most-watched race in this primary: the Governor’s race. As we discussed leading up to the primary, there were three main contenders competing for the top two spots – Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, and Tom Steyer. Currently, with 54.4% of the votes counted, Hilton is sitting comfortably in the lead with 27.8%, Becerra is in second place with 25.4%, and Steyer is in a pretty distant third at 19.6%. In terms of the remaining candidates, Chad Bianco is all the way down at 11.3%, Katie Porter has only garnered 4.6%, and the moderate mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan is basically off the board with 4.1%.[1]
These results are shocking. Not necessarily because of who is in the top three – we knew it would end up being between Becerra, Hilton, and Steyer – but because of just how much of a lead Hilton has taken. Will these numbers change? Of course! We still have a lot of votes to count. Could that change the order so that Becerra takes the lead over Hilton? Sure, anything is possible. But current reporting is saying that Hilton is highly likely to advance to the November runoff, and the fact that he may take it in first over a bunch of Democrats is something to notice!
But the Governor’s race is not the only race that is turning out great results. There are several down-ballot races that I want to cover.
First, there’s Lieutenant Governor. This is basically the Vice President office on the state level. They step in if the Governor travels out of state, resigns, or is removed from office, and so while the day-to-day responsibilities may not be as consequential as the Governor, it is still important to have a competent and prepared official in this role. We have a Republican in first place for this office as well! Gloria Romero, who is running with Steve Hilton, is just barely in first place with 19.9% of the votes. She is in a tight race against Democrat Fiona Ma, who is the current California State Treasurer, right behind Romero with 19.1%.[2] Everyone else is fairly far behind, making it likely these two will advance to November.
Next is Attorney General. This role is incredibly important because the AG is our state’s chief law officer and top prosecutor. Rob Bonta is the incumbent in this office, and he is responsible for using time and taxpayer dollars to sue President Trump. But even more than that, he uses the power of the Department of Justice to bully school districts who don’t comply with radical gender ideology,[3] he sued the city of Huntington Beach for voting to enact voter ID,[4] and he has actively targeted pro-life pregnancy centers across our state.[5] It’s safe to say, he’s not great. Well, he did pull ahead into first place, but honestly not by much. Bonta, so far, has 52.4% of the votes, while Republican contender Michael Gates is not far behind with 42.7%.[6] They are only about 468,000 votes apart, which is much tighter than you'd expect for an AG race in California, and raises questions about what could happen in November.
Now, one race I mentioned last week was for Insurance Commissioner. Another big one here in California as they oversee the private insurance industry, and our state has a massive insurance crisis on its hands. Stacy Korsgaden is an incredible candidate for this office. She attributes the crisis largely to policy decisions – such as excessive regulation, price controls, and environmental policies that have created an environment where insurers cannot properly assess or price risk. This is exactly right, and whoever is insurance commissioner needs to be clear on these root causes to fix the issue. She proposes encouraging new insurance products, restoring competition by bringing insurers back to California, and cracking down on fraud.[7]
Sadly, Stacy is currently in third place, with 17.5% of the votes, while first place is Democrat candidate Jane Kim at 23.7%.[8] This is actually disastrous because Jane Kim is RADICAL. She's pushing a full single-payer home disaster insurance program – meaning the state would collect premiums and use them to fund fire and flood coverage directly, eliminating private carriers. She believes that competition doesn't lower prices, corporations raise rates as high as they can, and so the state needs to build an alternative – which is basically the socialist version of insurance. Which is corroborated by the fact that she was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna, and major labor unions.[9]
The #2 place is tight – with Stacy just 78,000 votes behind Democrat candidate Ben Allen. We will have to keep watching this and hope there are some mail in ballots voting for Stacy that can push her to November, because she really is the best candidate for this role!
Lastly, there is the race for the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This office is responsible for public education in our state – overseeing policy and operations, managing state-funded programs, and ensuring local school districts comply with education laws. This is SUPER important, because public education has only declined over the past several years in California, with students unable to pass basic math and reading courses. There has also been a massive uptick in radical gender ideology and other liberal agendas being pushed in classrooms.
To my great surprise, and excitement, we have a Republican leading this race as well! Sonja Shaw is in a VERY comfortable lead with 24.9% of the votes. Second place is nearly 250,000 votes behind her – Richard Barrera at 18.9%.[10] Shaw is actually the conservative Chino Valley school board member who's been in the news for LGBTQ+ policy fights against Gavin Newsom and Rob Bonta, which we have talked about before! She wants to remove biological males from female sports, recruit top educators for our schools who will focus on the basics of education rather than radical ideology, and protect parental rights and involvement in the school system.[11] I could literally faint reading those plans – they are AMAZING! The fact she is in such a solid lead shows that parents are fed up with the horrendous failures our state has tolerated and perpetuated. I am very excited to see how this race goes in November!
The Red Wave
But the preliminary results in these statewide races aren't the only sign of growing Republican support across California. If you look beyond the vote totals and examine the county-by-county maps, a clear pattern emerges: Republican candidates are winning in much of California's geographic area, while Democratic support remains heavily concentrated in the state's largest population centers.
Take the Governor's race, for example.
The map shows Republican strength across much of inland California, while Democratic support is concentrated in major coastal metropolitan areas.[12] The same pattern appears in race after race, even in contests where Republicans are not leading statewide. In the Attorney General race, Steve Gates carried a large majority of counties across the state, while Rob Bonta's support was concentrated in densely populated urban regions that ultimately provided the votes needed to put him ahead statewide.[13]
A similar dynamic can be seen in the Insurance Commissioner race. Stacy Korsgaden carried much of the map geographically, while Democratic support was concentrated in the state's largest cities and surrounding counties.[14]
The takeaway is that California's political landscape is far more competitive and geographically diverse than statewide vote totals alone might suggest. California really is a red state, with blue cities that the rest of the state is fighting to break free from.
Another sign of a red wave comes from the broad coalition Steve Hilton is building across the state. One of the most encouraging developments of this election has been his strength among Latino voters. For years, political commentators have framed California politics as if certain communities automatically belong to one party and certain communities to another – especially with immigration being such a hot button issue under the Trump Administration. But the results we're seeing there tell a different story too!
In precincts with mostly Hispanic residents, Hilton leads by 8 points.[15] That is shocking! He is leading Xavier Becerra, who is himself Hispanic. If race were the primary factor driving voter behavior, we would expect Becerra to have a significant advantage in these communities. Instead, many Hispanic voters appear to be prioritizing issues, policies, and leadership over demographic characteristics.
More and more Californians are finding common ground around shared concerns: the cost of living, public safety, housing affordability, educational opportunity, and the desire for a government that works. Those concerns don't belong to one race, one ethnicity, or one neighborhood. They affect families across California, and it’s showing.
And perhaps the strongest reason for Republicans to be encouraged isn't found in any single race at all…it's found in the voter registration numbers. According to California voter registration data, from May 2022 to May 2026, Democratic registration increased by just over 10,000 voters. During that same period, Republican registration increased by nearly 138,000 voters – more than thirteen times the Democratic gain!!![16][17] This doesn't mean Republicans are about to overtake Democrats statewide. Democrats still maintain a substantial registration advantage. But it does indicate that the momentum appears to be moving in one direction!
For years, we've been told that California is permanently blue and that Republican ideas have no future here. But the results of this election – this PRIMARY – tell a completely different story. Change doesn't happen overnight. It happens gradually, then suddenly. The trends we're seeing from just the primary suggest that California may be far more politically competitive than the California critics have been willing to admit.
What About Spencer Pratt?
But I would be remiss if I skipped over the race my Los Angeles listeners are paying closest attention to: the Los Angeles mayoral race. We talked about this contest a few weeks ago, and it has turned into one of the most fascinating races in the state. On one side, you have incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, and on the other, you have political outsider Spencer Pratt.
Well, that race has not disappointed either. As it stands, Bass is in first with 35% of the votes, and Pratt is in a surprisingly close second with 29.9%![18] This means Bass has NOT secured her office for the next term, and that she will have to compete with Pratt in the November runoff.
This is supremely embarrassing for an incumbent Democrat. Why? Because only 19% of Los Angeles voters are registered Republicans.[19] Only 19%!!! So, if Pratt has nearly 30% of the votes, and obviously not every single Republican showed up on election day, Pratt picked up a huge number of Democrat or independent voters in the city.
Also, keep in mind, before May, Pratt was at just 11% in the polls. For him to have skyrocketed over the course of ONE MONTH to where he is now gives us insane hope for what he can do over the next five months leading up the November election. He could really win this thin
Close House Races
Finally, the last topic to cover today is the closest races in the House of Representatives that have a direct federal impact. There were several districts either completely obliterated or politically shifted because of Proposition 50 – the redistricting passed last year. The intent of this on part of our Governor was to pick up an additional 5 seats for Democrats in the US House.
The one that matters most is for congressional district 22. Under the new map, the district was adjusted to include more Democratic-leaning areas, leading many analysts to expect that the seat would become easier for Democrats to contest. But Democratic challengers struggled to consolidate support in a crowded field, preventing a clean consolidation behind a single candidate. Incumbent Republican David Valadao blew Democrats out of the water, with a reported 44.5% of the votes. While it will be a tight race for conservatives in November, it will be much more of a fight than Democrats expected!
That’s a theme across the districts Democrats thought they would easily pick up. Now, don’t get me wrong, they have completely switched around districts, pitted Republicans against each other, and made races much tighter – but the point is that, just as is happening in District 22, Republicans aren’t nearly as out of it as was desired by our state leaders and Governor.
Good News for November!
So, there you have it! This primary election has been one of the most exciting and revealing in recent California political history! Across statewide offices, down-ballot races, and even newly redrawn congressional districts, we’re seeing a level of Republican performance that few expected heading into this primary. The trend is clear: California politics are far more dynamic than the “permanently blue” narrative has suggested, and WE ARE MAKING CHANGE!
Most importantly, this isn’t without precedent. The last time a Republican topped a statewide primary-style race and went on to win the governorship in California was in 2003, when Arnold Schwarzenegger surged into the race, led a crowded field, and ultimately won the governorship in the historic recall election of Gray Davis. At the time, many of the same assumptions were being made – that California was locked into a political direction that couldn’t be meaningfully challenged. And yet, voters shocked the political establishment.
That’s why this primary matters so much. It’s not just about who advances, it’s about what these results signal. Momentum is real, enthusiasm is building, and voters are clearly more open to alternatives that promise real solutions to California’s problems!
Now our focus shifts to November. If this primary is any indication, the general election won’t just be competitive, it will be even more energized, more unpredictable, and more closely watched. For the first time in a long time, we have real hope for change. Now, let’s get to work fighting for it.
References:
[1] California Secretary of State. “California Primary Election Results.” Election Results, June 3, 2026. https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/governor.
[2] California Secretary of State. “California Primary Election Results.” Election Results, June 3, 2026. https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/lieutenant-governor.
[3] Miller, Maya C. “This City Banned the Pride Flag. Newsom’s Maps Would Give Them a Progressive, Gay Congressman,” CalMatters, October 20, 2025, https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/10/robert-garcia-proposition-50/.
[4] State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. “Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber Continue,” May 29, 2025. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-continue-challenge-huntington.
[5] Castle Work, Molly. “Prepared for Trump’s Comeback, California’s Attorney General Is Ready to Fight,” November 7, 2024. https://www.capradio.org/articles/2024/11/07/prepared-for-trumps-comeback-californias-attorney-general-is-ready-to-fight/.
[6] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/attorney-general.
[7] Stacy Korsgaden for California Insurance Commissioner. “My Plan | Support Fair Insurance Now — Stacy Korsgaden for California Insurance Commissioner,” n.d. https://www.stacyforinsurancecommissioner.com/myplan.
[8] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/insurance-commissioner.
[9] Janekim.org. “Jane Kim | Endorsed by Bernie Sanders,” n.d. https://www.janekim.org/.
[10] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/superintendent-of-public-instruction.
[11] Shaw for Superintendent of Public Instruction 2026. “Sonja Shaw for California State Superintendent 2026,” n.d. https://shawforca.com/#issues.
[12] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results - Maps,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/maps/governor.
[13] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results - Maps,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/maps/attorney-general.
[14] California Secretary of State, “California Primary Election Results - Maps,” Election Results, June 3, 2026, https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/maps/insurance-commissioner.
[15] Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle), "By Race: Mostly Hispanic residents Hilton +8, Mostly white residents Hilton +17," X, June 2, 2026, https://x.com/IngrahamAngle/highlights.
[16] California Secretary of State, “REPORT OF REGISTRATION,” May 18, 2026, https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/15day-primary-2026/complete-ror.pdf.
[17] Fox News, "GOP Dominated LA Voter Registration | Jesse Watters Primetime," YouTube video, 4:12, June 2, 2026, youtube.com.
[18] NBC News. “Los Angeles Mayor Primary Results 2026,” June 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/los-angeles-mayor-results.
[19] Tat, Linh. “Here Are LA County’s Voter Registration Numbers Ahead of the Redistricting Election.” Daily News, October 23, 2025. https://www.dailynews.com/2025/10/22/here-are-la-countys-voter-registration-numbers-ahead-of-the-redistricting-election/.
