California voters headed to the polls Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to select candidates for governor and other key state and local offices.
These elections determine which candidates will advance to the November general election. The primary is particularly significant for the U.S. House of Representatives, as voters are selecting nominees based on a new congressional map approved in 2025 [5].
Polls across the state closed at 8 p.m. [1]. The race for governor is one of the most wide-open in years, featuring a massive field of 61 hopefuls [2]. Despite the size of the initial pool, only two candidates will emerge from this primary to compete in the general election [3].
Beyond the governor's race, voters are deciding the future of the Los Angeles mayor's office and the Los Angeles city council. These contests run alongside the congressional races, which are the first to be held under the updated district boundaries.
California was one of six states to hold primaries on Tuesday, with Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota also conducting elections [4].
"Polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, when California voters will begin to decide who advances to November in one of the state's most wide-open governor's races in years," USA Today staff said.
PBS NewsHour staff said that two candidates for governor will emerge from the field of 61, while voters also select U.S. House nominees using the new map approved in a 2025 ballot measure.
“Only two candidates will emerge from this primary to compete in the general election.”
The 2026 primary serves as a critical test for California's new congressional redistricting. By narrowing a vast field of 61 gubernatorial candidates down to two, the state's top-two primary system will once again determine whether the general election will be a contest between two candidates of the same party or a cross-party battle.
