A Good Election Night for Progressives: Tuesday's results--some not yet final--bode well for the fall.

[Celerity]

https://prospect.org/2026/06/03/good-election-night-for-progressives-steyer-becerra-california/


California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during an election night event, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in San Francisco. Credit: Noah Berger/AP Photo

Let’s begin with California. Though Republican Steve Hilton is currently leading in the jungle primary for the governor’s race, with Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer running second and third, there are still millions of late ballots to be counted. It remains a possibility that the final two in the November election will be Becerra and Steyer. The late votes are likely to be strongly Democratic and could push Steyer into the top two. That’s because Democrats held their ballots until the last minute to vote strategically, and polls showed Steyer with momentum in the final week.

That would set up a classic center-vs.-left contest for governor. Steyer, though a self-funded billionaire, is by far the most progressive gubernatorial candidate anywhere in the country. Becerra rose in the polls because of massive corporate funding and an organized effort from the state political machine, which meandered among candidates before settling on Becerra once Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded. An all-Democrat final would also be lethal for Republican down-ballot candidates and a boost to the billionaire wealth tax that will be on the ballot in November.

Down-ballot, progressives had an interesting night. Elsewhere in California, in the Central Valley seat currently held by Republican David Valadao, progressive Randy Villegas is ahead of centrist Democratic rival Jasmeet Bains to take on Valadao in the November final. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who has had a rough time governing California’s largest city, symbolized by but not limited to the Pacific Palisades fire, survived, but she will face one of two tough challengers in the November final. Whether that challenge comes from the right or the left remains to be seen. And in Nancy Pelosi’s former seat in San Francisco, the primary contest featured progressives of different stripes.

San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and state Sen. Scott Wiener advanced to the final, Chan with the help of Pelosi’s endorsement. Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and onetime tech executive, spent $10 million of his own money but lagged far behind, criticized as a carpetbagger. In other notable races, Sam Forstag, a union leader and smokejumper, is winning the primary in a possible swing seat in Montana. AOC stumped for him on the final weekend. And Adam Hamawy, a combat surgeon who worked in Gaza, won the primary in a safe New Jersey seat. Hamawy was attacked by the Israel lobby for his forthright defense of the rights of Palestinians, but to no avail.

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[gab13by13]

1. I support Democrats

and Miles Taylor.

[msongs]

2. steyer has spent about $200 for each of his votes lol. oligarchy to the max