Since our prior coverage established the basic primary night picture, the vote counting has continued — slowly — and several races have sharpened into clearer stories.

California Governor: Still Hilton vs. Becerra, But Nothing Is Locked

With 51.8% of precincts reporting, Steve Hilton held 1,080,542 votes (26.7%) and Xavier Becerra held 1,047,898 votes (25.9%), according to the California Secretary of State's Office as cited by the NY Post. That's a gap of roughly 32,000 votes across a state with millions of ballots still uncounted.

Tom Steyer sits in third at 19.7% — still mathematically alive, but needing to dramatically outperform in outstanding ballots. Chad Bianco is at 11.2%, essentially out of contention for the top-two slots.

The race won't be certified until July 10, per the Secretary of State. Anyone telling you this is settled is guessing.

Steyer spent more than $200 million of his own money on this race and is still likely to finish third. A billionaire buying a California primary and losing to a former Fox News host says something about the limits of money in politics.

The Swalwell Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

Eric Swalwell — who suspended his campaign after multiple women, including former staffers, accused him of sexual misconduct, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN — still pulled 15,221 votes (0.4%) with 42% of precincts reporting, according to the NY Post.

Swalwell denied wrongdoing but admitted to extramarital affairs, calling them "mistakes in judgment." His name couldn't be removed from the ballot in time.

Those 15,000-plus votes didn't change the race's outcome. But they show how disconnected some California voters are from their candidates' backgrounds. Swalwell also installed himself as treasurer of his defunct campaign, giving him control of roughly $4 million — much of which has gone to lawyers, per the NY Post.

Iowa: Trump's Endorsement Record Takes a Hit with Feenstra

Trump endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra for Iowa governor — and Feenstra lost.

Businessman Zach Lahn barely edged Feenstra in the GOP primary. Feenstra conceded before most major outlets even called the race, according to the NY Post.

Up until Tuesday, Trump had a strong endorsement record in House, Senate, and governor's primaries this cycle, having backed successful challengers in several races including against Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). However, his attempt to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) did not succeed — Massie survived his primary. Feenstra is among the first governor or federal-level losses for Trump-backed candidates this cycle.

Trump endorsed Feenstra on Friday — after early voting had already been underway for weeks. The late endorsement may simply have come too late to move numbers.

Lahn, backed by former Rep. Steve King and MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) supporters, ran to Feenstra's right on immigration. Now Lahn faces Democratic state auditor Rob Sand in November — the only statewide elected Democrat in Iowa. Democrats haven't won a major Iowa top-of-ticket race since Obama in 2012, but the NY Post notes cautious optimism in Democratic circles about both the governor and Senate races this cycle.

Lahn's win gives Democrats a real opening. Sand has built a reputation attacking both parties, which could appeal to exactly the kind of swing voter Lahn's hard-right positioning might alienate.

Los Angeles Mayor: Bass Vs. Pratt, Round Two Looks Likely

At 16% of votes counted, incumbent Karen Bass held 36.54%, Spencer Pratt sat at 30.12%, and Councilmember Nithya Raman was at 20.18%, per the NY Post.

Veteran political consultant Rick Taylor told the NY Post it could be 10 to 14 days before a clearer picture emerges. Up to half the ballots were mailed in, requiring signature verification.

Bass needs to avoid a November runoff against Pratt — a reality-TV personality who made "streets safe again" his entire pitch. If those numbers hold anywhere close, she's headed to one.

The last time a sitting LA mayor was forced into a runoff after a first term was 2005, when Antonio Villaraigosa ousted James Hahn. That was before the homelessness crisis consumed the city.

San Francisco Congress: Pelosi Loses One

State Sen. Scott Wiener dominated early returns in the race to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress, pulling 43.4% versus Pelosi's endorsed candidate Connie Chan at 28.5% and tech millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti at 13.5%, per the NY Post.

Pelosi endorsed Chan days before the primary and cut an ad for her. It didn't work. Wiener has held San Francisco in the state Senate since 2016 and is the driving force behind California's YIMBY housing movement.

Chakrabarti spent $10 million of his own money and finished a distant third. His former boss Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declined to endorse him.

What This All Means

California's slow-count problem is real and embarrassing — Fox News and the NY Post both noted it's being criticized across the political spectrum. Weeks to count votes in a major state primary is unacceptable in 2026.

Trump's endorsement machine took its first genuine hit. Lahn winning Iowa matters — not because it ends Trump's influence, but because late, rushed endorsements don't automatically override months of grassroots organizing.

And in LA, Karen Bass is fighting for her political life against a man best known for reality television.