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Several Democrats conceded, including one-time frontrunner Katie Porter. Democratic incumbents Attorney General Rob Bonta, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and Controller Malia Cohen advanced to November, facing GOP challengers Michael Gates, Don Wagner, and Herb Morgan respectively.
Republican Steve Hilton leads California's gubernatorial primary with 27.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrats Xavier Becerra (25.4%) and Tom Steyer (19.6%), with 58% of votes counted. Election analyst Paul Mitchell says it's nearly mathematically impossible for Steyer to close the gap.
Nevada, Arizona, and California officials signed a non-binding agreement to explore using desalinated water from California's Carlsbad plant to ease Colorado River shortages. The deal could allow Nevada or Arizona to use part of California's river allocation while California uses desalinated water. The agreement involves multiple water agencies and the Bureau of Reclamation.
FBI agents fatally shot an alleged hostage-taker in Bakersfield, California, ending a 12-hour standoff. All hostages were located unharmed and received medical evaluation. Two hostages were released Tuesday night before the fatal shooting. Nearby buildings were evacuated during the incident.
Multiple candidates backed by Big Tech executives lost in Tuesday's primary elections, defying expectations of a tech wave in state politics. Rep. Ro Khanna, an ally to Big Tech, supported a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires, prompting some tech executives to back Ethan Agarwal.
Monterey Park, California voters overwhelmingly approved a permanent ban on datacenters via ballot initiative, with 86.3% in favor as of early results. The ban can only be overturned by another ballot measure, making it the most permanent data center ban in a jurisdiction. The proposed data center would have used three times the electricity of the entire 60,000-person city.
Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra lead the California governor primary, with Democrat Tom Steyer trailing. Hilton, a former UK resident and Trump-endorsed candidate, has never held elected office.
The court reversed Anthony Bankston's death sentence because a prosecutor compared him to a Bengal tiger, the first such reversal under the 2020 Racial Justice Act. The murder conviction stands, and the case returns to trial court for resentencing.
School board president Sonja Shaw, a Trump-aligned conservative, leads the primary for California superintendent of public instruction. Democrat Richard Barrera is in second place. Shaw's campaign benefited from a divided Democratic field with seven candidates.
Eight bills expanding breathalyzer mandates and closing the diversion loophole advanced in the California Legislature after initial hearings. The measures now move to opposite houses, a step that has previously stalled similar efforts. Hearings revealed a divide between crash victims' families and progressive groups calling for more emphasis on road design.