California Primary Results Remain Undecided as ‘Jungle Primary’ System Takes Center Stage

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – California’s primary election results remained unresolved Thursday, with two of the state’s most closely watched contests — the governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral race — still unsettled as officials continued counting mail-in and provisional ballots.

The uncertainty has drawn national attention not only because of the high-profile candidates involved, but also because of California’s unusual primary system, often called a “jungle primary.”

Under California’s top-two primary system, all candidates for most state and federal offices appear on the same ballot, regardless of political party. Voters may choose any candidate, and only the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the November general election. That means two Democrats, two Republicans, or one candidate from each party can face each other in the final election. The system was created after voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010.

In practical terms, California’s jungle primary can produce unusual political outcomes. In a crowded field, several candidates from the same party can split their vote, allowing candidates from another party to rise into the top two even in a state where that party is normally outnumbered. That dynamic has become a central issue in this year’s governor’s race.

As of Thursday morning, Republican Steve Hilton was leading the gubernatorial primary with roughly 28% of the vote. Former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, was running second at about 25%, while billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer followed with roughly 20%. Because of the top-two system, the central question is not which party “wins” the primary, but which two candidates survive to the November ballot. (The Guardian)

The Los Angeles mayoral race was also too close to fully resolve. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured a place in the November runoff, but the race for the second spot remained uncertain as more ballots awaited processing. Spencer Pratt, an outsider candidate who has tapped into voter frustration over the city’s quality-of-life problems, was holding second place early Wednesday with roughly 30% of the vote. Left-wing City Councilmember Nithya Raman trailed at about 22%.

Pratt framed his campaign as an appeal to ordinary Angelenos frustrated by crime, homelessness, affordability, and city dysfunction.

“This idea that I don’t represent Democrats and Republicans and independents — anyone that’s just a Los Angeles citizen that wants basic quality of life — I’ll be able to show that in five months,” Pratt said Wednesday night.

“I’m an Angeleno who said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and I had to step up,” he added. “I’m going to show everybody that I’m their mayor.”

California’s slow vote count has again become a flashpoint. The state automatically mails ballots to registered voters, and ballots postmarked by Election Day may still be counted if they arrive within the legal window. County officials must also verify signatures, process provisional ballots, review eligibility issues, and complete post-election checks before certifying results.

State law gives county election officials up to 30 days after an election to complete the official canvass. Supporters of the process argue that the longer timeline protects every lawful vote. Critics say the delays damage public confidence, especially when major races remain unresolved for days or weeks.

Political analyst Nate Silver criticized the state’s pace on X, writing that California’s inability to resolve elections quickly is “not common in other electoral systems around the world.”

Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, also faulted the state’s election administration, writing that “every other state manages to count its votes in a somewhat timely manner.”

President Donald Trump escalated the criticism Thursday, accusing Democrats of attempting to manipulate the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral primaries as late-counted mail ballots continued to come in.

“The Dumocrats are at it again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”

In another post, Trump claimed there was “big cheating” in California and said the matter was “under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.” The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed such an investigation, and election officials have said the ongoing count is part of California’s normal process.

The dispute underscores a larger national debate over election confidence, mail-in voting, and whether states should prioritize speed, access, or extended ballot verification. In California, those tensions are magnified by the jungle primary system, where the order of finish — even by a narrow margin — determines who gets to compete in November.

For Hilton, Becerra, Steyer, Bass, Pratt, and Raman, the next several days could determine whether their campaigns continue or end. For California voters, the wait is another reminder that in the nation’s largest state, Election Day is often only the beginning of the count.

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