California 2026 Primary Election Results: Key Takeaways for Congressional, Statewide, and Local Races

On June 2, 2026, California held its primary election for numerous state offices and seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates who receive the most votes in each race will advance to the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. This GT Alert provides known results as of June 25, 2026, unless otherwise noted.

U.S. House of Representatives

All 52 of California’s U.S. House seats were on the ballot in the primary election, though most incumbents prevailed. The most closely watched congressional races fall into two categories: redrawn Republican-held districts where Democrats may have new pickup opportunities after Proposition 50, and other contested or high-profile races where the incumbent may be vulnerable or the general-election candidates present a sharp ideological contrast.

Redrawn Republican-Held Districts With Democratic Pickup Opportunities

• District 1, previously held by the late Doug LaMalfa (R), now has a post-Proposition 50 registration makeup of roughly 41% Democratic and 31% Republican, compared with 28% Democratic and 42.5% Republican in 2022. James Gallagher (R) and Mike McGuire (D) will advance to the general election after each received roughly 42% of the primary vote.
• District 3, represented by Kevin Kiley (I), now has a post-Proposition 50 registration makeup of roughly 38% Democratic and 31% Republican, compared with 33% Democratic and 38% Republican in 2022. Ami Bera (D) and Robb Tucker (R) advanced to the general election after receiving 34% and 30% of the primary vote, respectively.
• District 22 remains largely unchanged after Proposition 50, with voter registration at roughly 42% Democratic and 26% Republican. Incumbent David Valadao (R) will face Randy Villegas (D) in the general election after each received approximately 41% and 32% of the primary vote, respectively.
• District 41, represented by Ken Calvert (R), shifted roughly 10 points toward Democrats after Proposition 50, bringing voter registration to approximately 46% Democratic and 26% Republican. Linda Sanchez (D) and Mitch Clemmons (R) will face each other in the general election after receiving 37% and 35% of the primary vote, respectively.
• District 48, held by Darrell Issa (R), is now roughly 37% Democratic and 32% Republican after Proposition 50, compared with 30% Democratic and 41% Republican in 2022. Jim Desmond (R) and Marni Von Wilpert (D) will face each other in the general election after receiving 39% and 21% of the primary vote, respectively.

Based on the primary results and post-Proposition 50 registration changes, Democrats appear to have realistic pickup opportunities in several Republican-held districts, particularly Districts 1, 3, 22, 41, and 48. Democrats may flip two to five out of eight Republican-held seats. The remaining Republican-held seats—Districts 5, 20, 23, and 40—appear safer heading into the general election because of wider primary margins or limited effects from Proposition 50.

Other Closely Watched Congressional Races

• In District 11, the San Francisco-based seat formerly represented by Nancy Pelosi (D), Scott Wiener (D) and Connie Chan (D) advanced after receiving 40% and 30% of the primary vote, respectively. Wiener is more associated with statewide housing and transit policy, while Chan has emphasized local affordability and tenant protections.
• In District 24, Adam Gray (D) received approximately 42% of the primary vote and will face Kevin Lincoln (R), who received approximately 28%. This race may be one to watch, since Gray won the seat by nearly 200 votes in 2024. Candidates from both parties split the remaining vote, and party affiliation among registered voters currently favors Democrats, 45% to 27%.
• In District 27, incumbent George Whitesides (D) will face Jason Gibbs (R) in the general election after each received approximately 41% of the primary vote. With the primary evenly split and party affiliation among registered voters favoring Democrats, 42% to 27%, this race may remain competitive in November.
• In District 45, incumbent Derek Tran (D) will face Chuong Vo (R) in the general election. Tran received approximately 54% of the primary vote, while Vo received approximately 15%, with five other Republican candidates splitting much of the remaining vote. If Republican voters consolidate behind Vo in November, the race may become highly competitive, although party affiliation among registered voters slightly favors Democrats, 39% to 30%.

The congressional primary results suggest two related dynamics heading into November. Proposition 50 appears to have improved Democratic prospects in several Republican-held districts, but Republican incumbents and candidates continued to post competitive primary results in many of those races. Separately, several other congressional contests remain notable because of narrow prior margins, divided primary fields, or potential ideological contrasts. Together, these races will determine whether Democrats make only modest gains or achieve a broader shift in California’s House delegation.

Governor’s Race

One of the more notable results was the gubernatorial primary, where Xavier Becerra (D) and Steve Hilton (R) emerged as the top two finishers and advanced to the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The outcome was significant because the Democratic field was crowded, with multiple prominent candidates splitting the vote, while Hilton consolidated enough Republican support to secure a place in the runoff. Ultimately, Becerra secured 28% of the primary vote, while Hilton secured 25%.

Becerra brings substantial state and federal experience, having served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2025 and as California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021. His campaign has emphasized affordability, housing, and healthcare. Hilton, a political commentator and former adviser in the United Kingdom, received President Donald Trump’s endorsement and has framed his campaign around reducing taxes, fiscal restraint, and deregulation. If elected, Hilton would become California’s first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.

Insurance Commissioner

The Insurance Commissioner race has taken on unusual significance amid California’s worsening insurance affordability and availability crisis. Increased wildfire risk, rising rebuilding costs, insurer pullbacks, and growing reliance on the FAIR Plan have made the office central to the state’s broader housing, business, and climate-risk challenges. Former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim (D), who received approximately 27% of the primary vote, and state Sen. Ben Allen (D), who received approximately 20%, advanced to the general election. Their platforms reflect different approaches to market stabilization. Kim has called for a more expansive public role, including a statewide disaster-insurance program, guaranteed Medi-Cal coverage for children, and stronger consumer protections. Allen has emphasized faster and more accountable rate review, wildfire-mitigation incentives, and efforts to move homeowners out of the FAIR Plan and back into the admitted insurance market.

California Attorney General

Incumbent Rob Bonta (D) and Michael E. Gates (R) advanced to the November general election after receiving approximately 56% and 38% of the primary vote, respectively. The race presents a contrast in statewide enforcement priorities. Bonta has framed his campaign around protecting civil rights and reproductive freedom, holding corporations accountable, addressing gun violence and fentanyl trafficking, safeguarding the environment, and using the attorney general’s office for consumer protection. Gates has centered his campaign on public safety, local control, support for law enforcement, stricter criminal enforcement, homelessness enforcement, fraud and waste prevention, and voter ID laws. The race therefore contrasts Bonta’s emphasis on civil enforcement, consumer protection, and litigation to defend California policy priorities with Gates’s enforcement-first platform focused on crime, homelessness, local authority, and limits on Sacramento’s regulatory reach.

California Legislative Races

Democrats appear to remain on track to preserve their veto-proof supermajority in the California Legislature, which requires 54 Assembly seats and 27 Senate seats. In the Assembly, nine Republican-held seats may be in play because of close primary margins or near parity in party affiliation among registered voters. By contrast, only three Democratic-held seats appear vulnerable, while the remaining Democratic seats either produced wider primary margins or have voter-registration profiles that favor Democratic candidates.

State Assembly

Republican Seats in Play

• District 7: Incumbent Josh Hoover (R) received approximately 50% of the primary vote and will face Amy L. Slavensky (D), who received approximately 47%. With voter registration at 36% Democratic and 32% Republican, the narrow primary margin makes this a key Democratic pickup opportunity that might strengthen the party’s Assembly supermajority.
• District 33: Incumbent Alexandra Macedo (R) will face Hipolito Angel Cerros (D) in the general election after receiving approximately 61% and 39% of the primary vote, respectively. Despite the wide primary margin, the district’s voter composition only narrowly favors Republicans at 36% Republican and 33% Democratic, making this seat one to monitor in November.
• District 34: The seat is currently held by Tom Lackey (R). Charles Hughes (R) will face Randall Putz (D) in the general election after receiving approximately 37% and 39% of the primary vote, respectively. Although the district’s voter composition favors Republicans at 39% Republican and 30% Democratic, the close primary result makes this seat potentially competitive in November.
• District 47: Incumbent Greg Wallis (R) received approximately 48% of the primary vote and will face Leila Namvar (D), who received approximately 32%. Although Wallis led the primary, the district’s voter composition favors Democrats at 39% Democratic and 33% Republican, making this Republican-held seat a potential Democratic pickup opportunity if voters consolidate behind Namvar in November.
• District 58: Incumbent Leticia Castillo (R) received approximately 45% of the primary vote and will face Clarissa Cervantes (D), who received approximately 54%. With voter registration at 42% Democratic and 28% Republican, this race appears to present a strong Democratic pickup opportunity.
• District 63: Incumbent Natasha Johnson (R) received approximately 53% of the primary vote and will face Chris Shoults (D), who received approximately 46%. With party affiliation among registered voters relatively close at 39% Republican and 33% Democratic, the narrow primary margin makes this seat worth monitoring.
• District 70: Incumbent Tri Ta (R) received approximately 54% of the primary vote and will face Paula Swift (D), who received approximately 46%. With voter registration at 36% Democratic and 33% Republican, the race may remain competitive in November despite Ta’s primary lead.
• District 72: The seat is currently held by Diane Dixon (R). Gracey Van Der Mark (R) will face Chris Kluwe (D) in the general election after receiving approximately 38% and 44% of the primary vote, respectively. Although the district’s voter composition narrowly favors Republicans at 39% Republican and 32% Democratic, Kluwe’s primary showing makes this seat competitive heading into November.
• District 74: Incumbent Laurie Davies (R) received approximately 52% of the primary vote and will face Sergio Farias (D), who received approximately 47%. With party affiliation among registered voters nearly even at 35%, this race is one to watch as Republicans seek to narrow Democrats’ Assembly supermajority and Democrats seek to protect or expand it.



Democratic Seats in Play

• District 27: The seat is currently held by Esmeralda Soria (D). Brian Pacheco (D) received approximately 40% of the primary vote and will face Mike Murphy (R), who received approximately 43%. Although party affiliation among registered voters favors Democrats, 40% to 29%, the close primary result would make holding this Democratic-held seat important to preserving the party’s Assembly supermajority cushion.
• District 42: The seat is currently held by Jacqui Irwin (D). Deborah Lopez (D) will face Ted Nordblum (R) in the general election after receiving approximately 53% and 26% of the primary vote, respectively. With party affiliation among registered voters slightly favoring Democrats, 40% to 31%, and two Republican candidates splitting the primary vote, this race may be competitive in November.
• District 76: Incumbent Darshana Patel (D) received approximately 56% of the primary vote and will face Carrie Espinoza Villanueva (R), who received approximately 44%. With a close primary margin and party affiliation among registered voters at 37% Democratic and 30% Republican, this race might be competitive in November.



State Senate

Democrats appear positioned to maintain their Senate supermajority, with only three of 30 Democratic seats appearing vulnerable because of close primary results or narrow voter-registration margins. By contrast, five of 10 Republican seats appear vulnerable based on close primary outcomes or district voter composition.

Republican Seats in Play

• District 4: Alexandra Duarte (R) received approximately 32% of the primary vote and will face Jaron Brandon (D), who received approximately 41%. The result was shaped in part by Republican vote-splitting between Duarte and incumbent Marie Alvarado-Gil (R). Although the district’s voter composition favors Republicans at 40% Republican and 33% Democratic, Brandon’s primary showing makes this a race to watch in November.
• District 6: Incumbent Roger Niello (R) received approximately 56% of the primary vote and will face Sean Frame (D), who received approximately 29%. Because two Democratic candidates split the primary vote and the district’s voter composition is nearly even at 36% Republican and 35% Democratic, this race may become competitive in November.
• District 32: Incumbent Kelly Seyarto (R) received approximately 58% of the primary vote and will face Tiffany Tate (D), who received approximately 42%. Although Seyarto enters the general election with a clear advantage, Tate’s vote share and the district’s 40% Republican to 31% Democratic voter composition make this Republican-held seat worth monitoring.
• District 36: Incumbent Tony Strickland (R) received approximately 53% of the primary vote and will face Chris Duncan (D), who received approximately 46%. With a narrow primary margin and voter registration at 37% Republican and 33% Democratic, this Republican-held seat is expected to remain competitive in November.
• District 40: The seat is currently held by term-limited Brian Jones (R). Kristie Bruce-Lane (R) received approximately 27% of the primary vote and will face Mara Elliott (D), who received approximately 48%. Republican vote-splitting helped shape the primary result, and with voter composition nearly even at 35% Democratic and 34% Republican, this open Republican-held seat may be competitive in November.



Democratic Seats in Play

• District 38: Incumbent Catherine Blakespear (D) received approximately 54% of the primary vote and will face Laura Bassett (R), who received approximately 45%. The district’s voter composition is 37% Democratic and 32% Republican, making this a competitive race heading into the November general election.
• District 14: The seat is currently held by Anna Caballero (D), who is term limited. Esmeralda Soria (D) received approximately 45% of the primary vote and will face Darin DuPont (R), who received approximately 40%. Although the open seat may be competitive, the district’s voter composition remains favorable to Democrats at 41% Democratic and 26% Republican.
• District 16: Incumbent Melissa Hurtado (D) received approximately 35% of the primary vote and will face Guillermo Gonzalez (R), who led the primary with approximately 45%. The district’s voter composition is 39% Democratic and 30% Republican. Given the relatively close primary margin and the district’s Democratic registration advantage, this race may be competitive in November.



Key Local Race – Los Angeles Mayor

Incumbent Karen Bass (D) advanced to the runoff with approximately 34% of the vote and will face City Councilmember Nithya Raman (D), who received approximately 29%, after Spencer Pratt (R) finished third with approximately 26%. Bass, a former member of Congress, has emphasized homelessness reduction, public safety, and affordability. Raman, a City Councilmember, has focused on housing affordability, homelessness services, and renter protections. The nonpartisan race may test whether Bass can withstand criticism over homelessness, public safety, and wildfire response, or whether Raman can consolidate voters seeking a more progressive alternative.

Takeaways

The June 2026 primary results suggest a competitive general-election landscape, but not a wholesale shift in California’s political balance. Proposition 50 may improve Democratic opportunities in select congressional districts, though the primary results did not produce runaway Democratic wins in Republican-held seats. At the state level, Democrats appear well positioned to maintain their legislative supermajorities, while several Republican-held Assembly and Senate seats remain vulnerable heading into November. The statewide races also highlight sharp policy contrasts on affordability, insurance availability, public safety, and the role of state government – issues that may shape the general election debate.

* Special thanks to Summer Associate Ryan Saffarian ˘ for contributing to this GT Alert.

˘ Not admitted to practice law.