Live Updates: California midterm election results for key 2026 races including governor, Proposition 40 and more
What to know about California's 2026 midterm elections
- California voters head to the polls Tuesday with the future of the state's leadership — and that of its largest city — in the spotlight. One year after the passage of Proposition 50, the November election will allow Californians to decide their representatives in newly redrawn districts for the first time. Statewide, ballot propositions that could change the way California conducts elections and tax its wealthiest residents are at play.
- In the state's marquee race, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off to determine who will replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Becerra — a former member of Congress who served as Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration and was attorney general of California — could become the state's first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco in 1875. Hilton, a former Fox News host and advisor to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, would become the state's first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011. A Hilton victory would mark a major polling upset in one of the bluest states in the U.S.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing a threat to her reelection bid from her one-time ally, City Council member Nithya Raman. Raman, a housing advocate, is challenging Bass from the left on issues such as affordability. A recent Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll indicates that the race is a virtual toss-up with each candidate polling at 40%, with one-fifth of likely voters still undecided voters.
- Fourteen propositions are on the statewide ballot, including ballot measures on wealth taxes and election integrity. Prop. 40 would issue a one-time 5% tax on wealth accumulated by taxpayers valued over $1 billion. Prop. 41 and 42, however, are funded by opponents of Prop. 40 and could nullify its results if passed. Prop. 39 would amend the state's Constitution, requiring in-person voters to present state-issued ID at the polls and mail-in voters to provide the last four digits of their ID numbers.
Hilton makes final plea to voters: "I'm not giving up the fight"
While speaking to reporters at his Garden Grove election night party, Republican Steve Hilton acknowledged he has a fight ahead of him to pull off an upset in the California governor's race against Democrat Xavier Becerra.
"Obviously, as we're seeing already with some results around the country, this is not the best year to be running as a Republican anywhere," he said. "We always knew that this was an uphill battle … This was going to be very difficult to win, but it's not impossible."
The former Fox News host and advisor to former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron urged supporters to hold on to hope a little more than 90 minutes before polls closed.
"I love this state so much," Hilton said. "I'm not giving up the fight for California. There are important elections in 2028 for the state Legislature … One way or another, I'll be in that fight."
In California governor's race, voters choose between more Democratic Party dominance, a shift in direction
As Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom as California governor, voters may continue the longtime dominance of the Democratic Party in the state, or send it in a new direction under a Republican.
If Hilton were to pull off a stunning polling upset, he'd become the first Republican governor of California since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
Meanwhile, Becerra would break another longtime streak if he were to be elected. He'd become the first Latino governor of California since Romualdo Pacheco, who was the state's 12th governor with a brief term in 1875.
A dead-heat in the race for Los Angeles mayor
The battle to lead California's largest city, Los Angeles, could come down to the wire.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman are locked in a heated, tight race, according to the latest poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and the LA Times.
Polling showed a tie at 40% of likely voters for each candidate. It's a major shift from September, when the same pollsters gave Raman an edge with 39% of likely voters, compared to just 28% for Bass.
California's new-look congressional map shaped by Prop. 50
Key congressional seats are up for grabs in the state for the first time since Proposition 50 passed last year, granting even more favorable districts for Democrats.
In the progressive stronghold of San Francisco, state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan are locked in a tight race to fill the seat being left vacant by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will retire at the end of her term.
The Inland Empire is serving as a battleground between two staunch pro-Trump Republicans in Rep. Ken Calvert and Rep. Young Kim. The two have engaged in a competitive, often tense race against each other after Prop. 50 merged their districts. Only one will remain in Congress after ballots are counted.