5 highlights from Tuesday's elections: Platner wins in Maine; Trump’s candidates advance

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, June 10, 2026

1. Hilton advances in California; Pratt is shut out

While early returns from last week’s primary elections in California showed Republican Steve Hilton leading in the gubernatorial race and Republican Spencer Pratt in second place in the Los Angeles mayoral contest, Hilton has now fallen to second place while officially securing a spot in the general election. Meanwhile, Pratt has been shut out of the general election.

In California, all candidates run together on the same primary ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election.

With more than 90% of the vote counted, Democrat Xavier Becerra has captured 27.8% in the gubernatorial primary, with Hilton close behind at 25%. Democrat Tom Steyer is in third place with 22.5%. Hilton’s advancement to the general election gives Republicans a candidate to vote for in the fall, although he faces an uphill battle to victory in the overwhelmingly Democratic state.

In the LA mayoral election, with more than 98% of the votes counted, incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass secured 34.3% of the vote, followed by fellow Democrat Nithya Raman at 29%. Pratt has been locked out of the general election after coming in third, with 25.5% of the vote.

As for the state’s 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, early returns suggested that Republican-turned-independent Kevin Kiley and Republican Michael Stansfield could take the top two spots in California’s 6th Congressional District, raising the possibility that Democrats would be shut out of the general election in a district that was redrawn during mid-decade redistricting to favor Democrats.

However, with 92% of the vote counted, Kiley has captured 24.5% of the vote to Democrat Richard Pan’s 23.2%. Kiley and Pan are advancing to the general election.

A Democratic shutout materialized in California’s 40th Congressional District, which was redrawn to become more favorable to Republicans. Reps. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., and Young Kim, R-Calif., will face off against each other in the fall. With 85% of the vote counted, Calvert won 35% of the vote, while Kim captured 20.9%.