LIVE: California governor's race results, latest updates
Polls closed in California at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and voters and candidates alike are now awaiting results in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
FOX 11 and KTVU are tracking the latest election results in an update below:
Recent polls pointed to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former FOX News host Steve Hilton and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer being the top-three favorites heading into the June 2 California primary. The top two voter-getters will advance to the November general election.
Also on the ballot are Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, agriculture executive Leo Zacky, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and former California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon. In the days leading up to the primary, those candidates generally polled outside the top tier of the race.
Former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and former California State Controller Betty Yee ended their gubernatorial campaigns earlier this year, but their names remained on the ballot because they withdrew after the filing deadline.
California governor's race now in home stretch
California’s race for governor entered its final hours Monday as candidates made their last push before voters decide who moves on to the November general election.
Under California's top-two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the November 2026 general election, regardless of party affiliation. As a result, the November matchup could feature candidates from the same party or from different parties.
The timing of the results remains uncertain. Initial vote totals are expected to be released shortly after polls close, but California's vote-by-mail system means ballot counting often continues for days after Election Day.
Depending on the margins between candidates, election officials could determine the top two finishers Tuesday night. However, if the race for either first or second place is close, it could take additional rounds of ballot counting before a winner is projected.
One possibility is that election analysts determine it is too early to project the outcome because not enough votes have been counted. Another is that the race becomes too close to call, meaning enough votes have been reported to understand the contest, but the margin between candidates remains too narrow to determine who will advance.
Results will continue to be updated as counties across the state process and report additional ballots.