California voters may be waiting weeks to learn which two candidates will face off in November for governor, as state election officials methodically work through thousands of uncounted ballots in a primary that has produced no clear verdict.
The race features British-born conservative Steve Hilton holding a narrow lead, trailed by former health secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer. Under California's system, only the top two finishers advance to the general election to replace incumbent Gavin Newsom.
State law requires counties to complete ballot counting by June 15, though certain categories fall outside that deadline. Mail-in ballots postmarked by election day and received by June 9 remain valid and can be processed beyond the official cutoff. Election officials expect to release an estimate of remaining unprocessed ballots Thursday.
The delay stems partly from voter behavior. Many Democratic voters held mail-in ballots until election day itself while deliberating which candidate stood the strongest chance of reaching the top two positions, creating a surge of last-minute mail-ins that takes time to process.
Donald Trump, who has endorsed Hilton, did not wait for official results. He declared victory for his favored candidate on Wednesday via Truth Social, congratulating Hilton on "coming in first" and projecting that California voters would choose him and "watch their State get better at a rate that has probably never been seen before."
Author James Rodriguez: "A three-week wait in a major governor's race is brutal for candidates and voters alike, but California's mail-in system makes speed secondary to accuracy, and Trump's premature victory lap only underscores how uncertain the outcome truly is."
Comments