What Went Down In The June 7 Primaries

The New York Times is projecting that Republican Brian Dahle, currently with 16 percent of the vote, will join Newsom in the general election. This goes without saying, but every expectation is that Newsom will easily walk away with a victory. This is a loss for author Michael Shellenberger, who tried to parlay his social media presence into an independent bid for governor, highlighting homelessness and crime.

With 18 percent of the expected vote reporting in California’s 22nd District, Democrat Rudy Salas is in first place with 43 percent, while incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao is in second place with only 27 percent. It’s early, but that’s a pretty bad number for Valadao, who was one of only 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump’s impeachment. Two other Republicans are combining for 30 percent, but as of right now, they’re splitting the anti-incumbent vote, throwing Valadao a lifeline.

We have some early returns in the Los Angeles mayoral race. With 13 percent of the expected vote in, Rick Caruso leads Karen Bass, 41 percent to 38 percent. Unlike the statewide races, in which the top-two candidates advance to general election regardless of the primary margin, the L.A. mayoral race can be decided tonight with a simple majority. However, the final polls of the race suggest that Caruso and Bass are both hovering in the high 30s to low 40s, making it likely that we’ll have a runoff come November.