Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass secured the most votes and will face a November runoff against Spencer Pratt, with Nithya Raman still in the race for the second spot. The day’s political momentum also included New Mexico’s Democratic gubernatorial win by Deb Haal
When the votes were tallied, one thing became clear in Los Angeles: incumbent Mayor Karen Bass had enough support to move forward—but not enough to end the race.
Bass advanced to a November runoff after securing the most votes. setting up a head-to-head against former reality TV star Spencer Pratt. City Councilmember Nithya Raman also remained in contention, battling for the second spot. Early Wednesday still left uncertainty on California results more broadly. with the top two spots for governor in the nation’s most populous state undetermined.
The Los Angeles outcome is part of a larger scramble playing out across the country as high-stakes primary contests get underway and stretch into a busy month of elections. Those primaries are deciding control of Congress, statehouses, and even the fate of a major U.S. city.
In Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary, a Trump-backed candidate lost. In New Mexico. former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland was poised to make history after winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Another race was projected to determine a November matchup in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. where Rebecca Bennett was set to face off against Republican Rep. Tom Kean, who has not been seen on Capitol Hill since early March.
The sequencing of these races—Los Angeles moving toward a runoff, California governor slots still undecided, and GOP and Democratic gubernatorial outcomes diverging—has left voters in multiple states watching the same fundamental question: who has momentum heading into November.
Outside election results, the briefing also pointed to policy and world events that could shape daily life. Since January, at least 11 states have amended laws or passed new ones governing the use of cellphones in schools. Elsewhere. Trump tapped Bill Pulte. who is director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. as the new acting director of national intelligence. Pulte has no previous experience in intelligence.
The briefing also covered concerns about teen violence, asking whether “teen takeovers” are turning more violent. During these takeovers, authorities say teens often assault people and sometimes each other, commit robberies, and carry out other disorderly behavior.
For global audiences, attention is also shifting to sports: the 2026 World Cup is now just days away. Mexico and South Africa face off on June 11 to kick off the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
And for those settling into summer routines, “Love Island” returned with a “keep it kind” message for Season 8, airing as cast members couple up, break up, and sometimes leave the show after controversy.
Karen Bass Spencer Pratt Nithya Raman Los Angeles mayor race runoff June 2 results California governor primary Deb Haaland Bill Pulte Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director of national intelligence cellphone bans in schools 2026 World Cup