California governor, Los Angeles mayoral primary election vote counting continues

California voters were still eagerly awaiting results in key primary elections on Thursday, including in the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races, as workers continued to count ballots more than 36 hours after polls closed on Tuesday night. Under California's top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes will move on to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation. CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA - JUNE 03: Workers count ballots during the 2026 California primary election at the Ballot processing center on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in City of Industry, CA. Election results have began rolling in as ballots across California are being counted. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Kayla Bartkowski As of Thursday morning, CBS News had not yet projected any candidates to advance in the governor's race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary under President Biden, both appeared poised to advance but Democratic billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer was looking to make a late push as counting continued. Hilton, who has positioned himself as the "change" candidate, framed his early success as a referendum on what Californians want to see going forward. "We're not there yet, but it's looking good," Hilton said Tuesday night. …