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Early Returns Show Surprises In California As Other States Wrap Up

Update (0030ET): Voters in six states went to the polls today for key primaries. While many races followed expectations, California delivered notable early drama with slow-counting mail ballots still to come.

California Governor (Top-Two Primary)

The race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom remains the biggest story. In a crowded nonpartisan jungle primary, early returns (approx. 45-50% counted) show:

• Steve Hilton (R) leading at ~26.7%
• Xavier Becerra (D) close behind at ~25.8%
• Tom Steyer (D) trailing at ~19.6%

Chad Bianco (R) is further back. If trends hold, Hilton and Becerra are positioned to advance to November - setting up a potentially competitive general election in deep-blue California. Mail ballots could still shift the order.

Polymarket: Will Xavier Becerra advance? (Yes 93% · No 7%) View on Polymarket

 

Los Angeles Mayoral Primary

Incumbent Karen Bass (D) leads with ~36.5-38% (46%+ counted), followed by a strong surge from Spencer Pratt (R) at ~30%. Nithya Raman (D) trails at ~20%. Bass and Pratt are heavily favored to advance to the November runoff. Pratt’s performance reflects voter frustration with homelessness, crime, and city governance.

Pre-election Polymarket: Will Karen Bass win the 2026 LA mayoral election? (Yes 68% · No 33%) View on PolymarketIowa

• U.S. Senate (open seat): Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) won the GOP nomination decisively. State Rep. Josh Turek (D) won the Democratic nod. This sets up a key battleground race in November.
• Governor (open): Early leads for Republican Zach Lahn in the crowded GOP field; Democrat Rob Sand unopposed.

Other Notable Races

• Montana Senate (open): Kurt Alme (R) secured the GOP nomination.
• California’s 11th Congressional District (replacing Nancy Pelosi): Scott Wiener (D) won with a strong lead.
• New Jersey: Rebecca Bennett advanced in NJ-7; progressive Adam Hamawy won the open NJ-12.

Overall Takeaway: A night of outsider energy and tight races, particularly in California. Full results may take days or weeks due to mail-in ballots. These outcomes will shape the November midterms.

* * *

Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The California gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral primaries are among the most closely watched races today.

A voter fills out a ballot at a polling station in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 6, 2018. Joshua Lott/Getty Images

Voters in six states will go to the polls today for a series of key races.

The biggest item of the night will be the litany of races in California, the nation's largest state. Others will be held in Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey, and South Dakota.

Here are the most important races to watch.

California Governor

The race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of the most-watched in the nation.

California's gubernatorial elections are designed to be nonpartisan. With about six candidates polling with at least 5 percent support, only the top two vote-getters will be on the general gubernatorial election ballot in November, even if both are of the same party.

In the final weeks leading into the primary, the election underwent a total shake-up when front-runner Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) left the race - and Congress - following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Swalwell has denied the allegations.

Currently, the Democratic front-runners are former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer. The two are polling close, although Becerra retains a slight advantage.

//--> //--> //--> Will Xavier Becerra advance from the 2026 California Governor primary election?
Yes 93% · No 7%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

The main Republican candidates in the race are Steve Hilton, a British American TV show host and conservative commentator, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Polling leaves it unclear whether Hilton or Steyer is favored for second place.

Los Angeles Mayoral Primary

Residents of Los Angeles will also vote in the nonpartisan mayoral primary.

Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is facing off against 10 other contenders. She is expected to win the top spot in the primary.

//--> //--> //--> Will Karen Bass win the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election?
Yes 68% · No 33%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Meanwhile, the top Democratic contender for the second-place spot - member of the Los Angeles City Council Nithya Raman - is seeking to hold off a challenge from former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, running as a Republican, and make it to the general election.

California's 22nd Congressional District

In California's 22nd Congressional District, Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) will face off in a nonpartisan primary with state Rep. Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas, both Democrats.

Valadao is expected to win a place in the general election, although his final opponent will be decided by the outcome on June 2.

//--> //--> //--> Will David Valadao advance from the CA-22 Primary?
Yes 90% · No 10%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Polling in the district is sparse. A single poll conducted at the beginning of May by Data for Progress, a left-leaning pollster, showed Valadao with 44 percent support, Villegas with 25 percent, and Bains with 21 percent.

California's 48th Congressional District

In California's 48th Congressional District, a flurry of candidates have put their names into the ring.

Republican Jim Desmond leads in polls in the nonpartisan election, with fellow Republican Kevin O'Neil coming in second in some polls. Marni von Wilpert and Ammar Campa-Najjar are the Democratic front-runners.

The seat was one of five redrawn to favor Democrats last year - but that advantage only holds if a Democrat wins the nonpartisan primary.

California's 11th Congressional District

In California's 11th Congressional District, a slate of Democrats is competing to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Most polls show a lead for candidate Scott Wiener, a Democrat, while Pelosi has endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan. Chan has come in second in some polls, and Wiener enters the primary as the clear front-runner.

//--> //--> //--> Will Scott Wiener receive the most votes in the CA-11 primary?
Yes 99% · No 1%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

The two Republicans in the running - when they have made it into the polls at all - have pulled less than 5 percent support.

Iowa Senate

Although Iowa has long been a lock for Republicans, it is among Democrats' targets this year, as there are indications that the party could flip Senate seats previously considered safe. This year, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will not be seeking reelection, leaving the seat open.

Polls indicate that Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) is favored for the Republican nomination over her rival, state Sen. Jim Carlin.

//--> //--> //--> Will the Republicans win the Iowa Senate race in 2026?
Yes 62% · No 38%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

The polls leave it unclear whom the Democrats will nominate between candidates Josh Turek and Zach Wahls. Turek has led in more recent polling.

//--> //--> //--> Will Josh Turek be the Democratic nominee for Senate in Iowa?
Yes 93% · No 7%
View full market & trade on Polymarket Iowa Governor

Iowa's gubernatorial race is open after Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced that she would not seek reelection in 2026.

Several Republicans are contending for the nomination to replace her. The polls show that candidates Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Zach Lahn, and Adam Steen are leading in that race. On the Democratic side, only state Auditor Rob Sand is running.

A general election poll conducted in April by Echelon Insights, a Republican-aligned pollster, found that Sand had 51 percent support against Feenstra, who was polling at 39 percent.

Montana Senate

In Montana, the last-minute exit of Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) from the race left Republican challengers little opportunity to register against former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who registered for the GOP nomination just as Daines exited the race.

On the Democratic side, no polls have been conducted, leaving it unclear who is in the lead for the nomination.

As recently as 2024, the state was represented by Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat. Some general election polls have shown 44 percent support for a generic Democrat.

New Mexico Governor

In New Mexico, Democrat and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland is highly favored to win the Democratic nomination in the blue-leaning state, which some Republican strategists had eyed as a potential target in 2024.

On the Republican side, Gregg Hull narrowly leads Doug Turner in polls for the nomination.

New Jersey's 7th Congressional District

One of the two top targets for Democrats in New Jersey is the seat of Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.).

Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is favored to win the nomination, leading in most polls. Her closest rival is Brian Varela.

New Jersey's 12th Congressional District

In New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) is retiring, leaving open a safely Democratic seat in a district where the primary essentially is the general election.

The race has exposed ideological rifts in the Democratic Party.

Leading the progressive side in the race is Dr. Adam Hamawy, a Princeton trauma surgeon and Army veteran with endorsements from progressive heavyweights such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

The main other contenders for the Democratic nomination include East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, state Rep. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/03/2026 - 00:29

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Matt Mahan conceded the California governor’s race almost immediately after the polls closed Wednesday, the last moderate Democrat hope crushed between Republicans clamoring for change and partisan Democrats still chasing left-wing dreams. As the first results came in, they reflected what had become conventional wisdom. In the race for governor, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican...

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Barbarian Mindset: How Leftists And Third-World Invaders Think Alike

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us

The fall of the Roman Empire is often presented as symbolic of the slow but steady decline of the western world today, and it’s true, this comparison might be more accurate than many people realize. The disastrous collapse which escalated over the course of the 5th century was driven by economic crisis, a split of the empire into eastern and western halves, government reliance on foreign mercenaries for security, uncontrolled mass immigration, and ultimately, barbarian invasion.

When the western empire failed, Rome was plundered and centuries of human innovation and progress were lost in the flames. It’s an element that modern historians often gloss over – Each time the west has fallen, incredible knowledge that took generations to discover was dispersed into the ether. Each time, the human species was set back for centuries.

Many lives were sacrificed and ancient cities were destroyed, but the loss of time is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all. It took another 400 years for the western world to reconstitute under Christian rule, but barbarians attacked again in the form of Muslim hordes in the 9th century. It’s almost as if the grasping, predatory hands of useless ravagers are always lurking in the shadows, waiting for the west to rise from the ashes.

History is, of course, nuanced and complex, but some patterns are patently obvious and the attempts to sack Rome, Europe and greater Christendom repeated regularly over the course of a thousand years. Western civilization endures, succeeds, creates wonders, creates wealth and advances human invention. Then, the third world invades in an effort to strip whatever wealth was amassed.

There have been other civilizations, or attempts at civilizations beyond the west which suffered similar fates. The fall of the Bronze Age empires is a perfect example; a calamity of human history very similar to the fall of Rome, if not more mysterious. There was the collapse of China’s Han Dynasty in the 3rd century due to corruption, rebellion and foreign invasion by Mongolian tribes. The collapse of the Gupta Empire in India, triggered by Hunnic barbarian incursions, etc.

However, only the west survived in the long run and only the west is still targeted for demolition in the modern era. I would break this pattern down into two distinct forms of human endeavor or states of existence…

The Tribes Of Order: People who build, invent, create, persevere, maintain and seek to survive through merit, self discipline and industry. (Ayn Rand might refer to this group as the “producers”).

The Tribes Of Chaos (Barbarians): People who survive through brutality, piracy and deceit; those who live by stealing from the tribes of order. They wait until wealth and abundance is accumulated by others and then strip it away when given an opportunity.

Why do barbarians do this? Well, because it’s far easier to smash and steal than it is to plan and innovate. Some might argue that the mentality is genetic.  Some would argue it’s a product of culture. Others assert it’s a product of low IQ or low capacity for creative thinking. I’m inclined to believe that it’s a mix of all of these things.

How The West First Solved The Barbarian Problem

I believe there is a distinct and identifiable moment in history when the barbarian plunder of the west went into decline, and that was the First Christian Crusade in 1096 AD.

This was, in a way, the act of self defense through “colonization”. That is to say, the pattern of pillaging stops whenever the west takes forceful action to colonize the third world. In terms of the crusades, instead of allowing the barbarians to loiter on the doorstep of Europe and take territory whenever they pleased, the Holy Crusades sought to push them back and defeat them on their home turf.

Centuries later after the Muslims were mostly contained, European exploration led to colonies across Asia and Africa, civilizing cultures with the barbarian mindset. The insatiable desire to hijack the accomplishments of the Tribes of Order was countered by simply GIVING these people western accomplishments…and taking by away their ability to project power.

When the west expanded to take over management of the third world, the invasions ceased and the third world was introduced to the wealth of modernization without having to steal it. One could easily argue that western colonization was a net positive for the world. It’s not a coincidence that far-left ideologues and communists demonize it so frequently; they do this because they know colonization works. They use it themselves.

The Return Of The Barbarian Hordes

It is entirely predictable that, as the west embraces liberalism and socialism, the third world invasions have returned. We are the only culture that feels “shame” over our historic successes, so much so that many people are convinced we deserve punishment for the colonies of the past.

The biggest factor in this program of shame is the globalist agenda to erase national borders and identity through multiculturalism. However, I think it’s important to understand that the globalists are not forcing third worlders to immigrate to the west; these people WANT to come here and the globalists are simply opening the gates to let them in.

Why do they travel from countries where their culture is dominant? Why come to Europe or the US where their values are not aligned, their languages do not function and their tribal thinking is incongruent? Again, you can take the man out of barbarism, but you can’t take the barbarism out of the man. They come here because they see an opportunity to plunder the west after centuries of being thwarted. It’s a behavior that’s hard-wired into their gray matter.

I outlined this dynamic in my article “The Third World Is Forever Chasing The White Man”, in which I examined the habit of third world populations to constantly scratch for a piece of the first world instead of improving their own conditions at home. I also touched on the habit of leftist minorities to appropriate western culture and pretend they built it first (How often, for example, has Somalian Democrat Ilhan Omar falsely claimed that America was built by Muslims?).

These people do not want to develop their own accomplishments, their own stories, their own discoveries – they want ours. It’s the barbarian mindset.

I am reminded of a fascinating discussion by African commentator Franck Zanu, who presented his theory on why he believes African societies will “never develop” without the aid of western colonization. He noted that African languages have no word for “maintenance” – The concept simply does not exist in their vernacular.

It’s a deeply profound observation on the difference between the third-world and the west. The act of maintenance is a key element that defines the Tribes of Order. Without maintenance, no civilizational legacy can be constructed. Instead, human beings continue to clamor in the dirt, or wait around for someone else to build and maintain a system that they can latch onto and feed off of.

This problem is the underlying lesson in the documentary “Empire of Dust”, in which Chinese engineers travel to Africa to build roads and infrastructure, only to be consistently thwarted by a lazy population that seeks only to get paid for doing as little as possible.  In many cases, they sabotage their own construction efforts to drag out the process.  As a culture, they see no value in working to build something of lasting importance, and the Chinese engineers are left bewildered.

The evidence is endless within the very African nations that were once colonized.  Billions upon billions of dollars in infrastructure was handed over to them, and in countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), they let it all rot instead of maintaining it. They don’t understand the riches that follow an ordered nation, they think only in terms of wealth that can be looted in the midst of chaos.

But what does any of this have to do with the leftist movements plaguing the west today?

Communism/Marxism Is Organized Chaos

It sounds contradictory, but the philosophy of communism is a form of “organized chaos”, or engineered chaos to achieve a particular agenda. I would attach globalism to this equation because globalism is, ultimately, a desire for a globally centralized form of communism that operates on similar mechanics.

And who does this philosophy most appeal to in the west? Usually it’s the aimless ideologues with little or no ability to survive in a world where merit and strength are valued (woke activists, feminists, DEI advocates, etc.). And, people who consider themselves the “have-nots”. Useful idiots and emotional spastics who have been convinced that all the failings of their miserable lives are the fault of a rigged system.

They’re convinced that society has stolen achievements away from them, that the cards are stacked against them, that the shining city on the hill is laughing at them. If only the system was forced to be “more equitable”, if only wealth was properly redistributed, they would be rich, famous and successful.

So, the political left taps into this narcissistic desire for unearned distinction. It tells people, for the good of humanity, they must burn everything to the ground to get what they want. They are barbarians in first-world clothing; born within the gates, but barbarians all the same.

This is where communists and third worlders seem to intersect. They are part of the same “Tribe of Chaos.” This is why leftists are so desperate to open borders to mass immigration. This is why the policies of far-left Democrats seem to aid plunder by migrants (like Somalian scammers in Minnesota or California). This is why leftists seem to be obsessed with enabling the Islamic invasion of Europe.

It’s all about chaos and the fleecing of societies that value order. The globalists are also members of the chaos tribe, but they think of themselves as straddling the line between. Their vision of a “new world order” can only be achieved through the destruction of the old world, the erasure of the past, the rewriting of history and memory and morality. They are grotesque pillagers of time.

If they get their way, the barbarian mindset will become the norm. People of order and merit (the producers) will be perpetually enslaved to the whims of parasites. It will be a never-ending cycle of struggling industry followed by collapse, back to the dark ages but condensed down to a terrible science. We will work to build and build again while the hands of the horde rush in to knock it all down and pick the bones clean.

Without aggressive action to safeguard our own tribe, nothing we create will ever belong to us.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/02/2026 - 23:25

It all started with Schlittler’s clunker, as he allowed a career-high five runs, four earned, in just 4 ¹/₃ innings.

The Giants got a taste of what they gave up, and it had to be a bitter pill to swallow with the way Kyle Harrison mowed through their meager lineup.

How China Is Remaking Its Vast Western Frontier

China is undertaking a vast effort to reshape its western frontier, transforming Xinjiang and Tibet from remote borderlands into strategic hubs for industry, energy, tourism and trade, according to a new lengthy report from Financial Times.

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing is pouring investment into highways, railways, renewable energy projects, manufacturing bases and tourism infrastructure across a region that covers nearly a third of China’s territory. Officials see the west not as a distant hinterland but as a frontline for economic growth, national security and connectivity with Eurasia.

Xinjiang

The strategy serves several goals. It aims to integrate Xinjiang and Tibet more deeply into China’s economy, strengthen border security, expand access to critical resources and energy, and make western China a more important link in global supply chains. Analysts say this could also reduce the effectiveness of future Western sanctions by increasing the regions’ economic importance.

The transformation is most visible in Xinjiang. Tourism has surged, with record visitor numbers drawn to ski resorts, scenic villages and newly built infrastructure. International hotel chains are rapidly expanding in the region, while exports, manufacturing and state-backed investment continue to grow. For many Chinese visitors, Xinjiang is increasingly marketed as a safe and attractive destination rather than a politically sensitive region.

Yet the economic boom has not been accompanied by a rollback of state control. Human rights groups say the surveillance systems, security apparatus and policies that followed the mass detention of Uyghurs remain firmly in place. Critics argue Beijing is pairing economic incentives with continued social control and cultural assimilation.

The FT writes that Tibet is undergoing a similar transformation. Massive hydropower projects, transmission networks and mineral extraction plans are positioning the region as a future energy hub. The flagship Yarlung Tsangpo dam could become the world’s largest hydropower project, supplying electricity far beyond Tibet. Supporters see these developments as engines of growth; critics warn of environmental damage, pressure on local communities and risks to downstream countries.

At the same time, rights groups and researchers say policies promoting Mandarin-language education, migration and “ethnic integration” are accelerating the assimilation of Tibetans and Uyghurs into mainstream Han Chinese society. Beijing rejects such criticism, saying it protects minority cultures while promoting development and national unity.

Taken together, the projects signal a long-term effort to remake China’s west. Roads, railways, factories, power plants and tourist attractions are reshaping the region’s economy and its role within China. But the transformation is occurring alongside an extensive security system, raising questions about whether development is being used not only to modernise the frontier but also to cement Beijing’s political control over it.

Tyler Durden Tue, 06/02/2026 - 23:00