Tipsheet

Oh, Here We Go Again: Those Damn Mail-in Ballots Have Severely Cut Into GOP Vote Totals in CA

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  June 04, 2026 6:55 AM

California elections are still being counted because that’s the system they have there. It might take a few weeks, months, or even a decade before the official results are announced. Not really, but the slow pace at which ballots are tallied in the Golden State is beyond absurd; even liberal reporters are starting to raise eyebrows — it shouldn’t be this way. 

Dmitri gave an overview of where things stand right now. 

In the governor's race, former television host and policy commentator Steve Hilton spent much of the campaign leading in public polling, while in Los Angeles, Spencer Pratt has emerged as a surprisingly viable contender after running a high-profile mayoral campaign that has attracted widespread media attention. As results continue to come in, both races are being closely watched for signs of whether California is about to have a major shift to the right in California.

As votes continue to be counted on Wednesday morning, here is where the candidates stand in their respective races.

As of Wednesday morning, with roughly 60 percent of the vote counted in California's gubernatorial primary, Republican Steve Hilton has maintained a lead over the Democratic field. Hilton has received about 28 percent of the vote, while former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra trails at roughly 25 percent. Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer is currently in third place with around 20 percent.

Katie Porter has been defeated; she won’t be able to come back from her current position in the vote totals, no matter what. But one thing I forgot to mention, and it could hurt Republicans: those good old-fashioned mail-in ballot dumps, which have drastically reduced Republican vote totals across the board. 

We could be witnessing another political screw job, folks.