Real-Time Results: Orange County Primary Election 2026

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The polls are closed in Orange County, and voters will soon know which two candidates survived the crowded contest for governor, the Orange County Board of Supervisors and more.

Eight candidates are running for governor. Heading into election day, polls showed Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton leading a crowded field including top contenders Chad Bianco, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, and Antonio Villaraigosa. It’s been a scandal-plagued primary season without a clear frontrunner, dampening voter enthusiasm and early voting turnout on the left.

RELATED: Real-Time Election Results: CA Governor's Primary Election 2026

The outcome of dozens of down-ballot primary races also hangs in the balance in Orange County. Voters are waiting to find out who came out ahead in the Orange County Board of Supervisors and several congressional races.

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As of April, the California Secretary of State reported that 23,112,854 Californians were registered to vote, which accounts for almost 84 percent of the state's eligible voting population.

Not surprisingly, there are far more registered Democrats than Republicans in the state, with 45 percent for the former and 25 percent for the latter.

RELATED: Real-Time Election Results: CA Congressional Primary Election 2026

In Orange County, the rate of voter registration is high. As of April, it was 85.6 percent — with 36.39 percent of voters registered as Democrats, 33.87 percent as Republicans.

Real-time results are below. Scroll or select the menu to view the race of your choice.

The Registrar of Voters and Patch will update the results throughout the night as votes are tallied, and the page will be refreshed for the latest updates.

Can't see the widget below? Click here for all June 2, 2026, Primary Orange County election results.

Voters returned their ballots later than normal

Voter turnout may be a mixed bag this primary season as voters decided which two candidates will vie in the general election to be the next governor of the Golden State. Top ticket races such the gubernatorial contest usually generate high voter turnout. But that may not be the case this year as the lack of a clear frontrunner appears to have dampened enthusiasm among early voters.

Even Democrats who typically have a high turnout in primary elections — often older, white voters — have been slow to drop off their ballots, said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist tracking ballot returns.

“My joke is: Call your Democratic parents and tell them to turn in their ballot,” he said. “They are holding onto the ballot because they have seen this kind of topsy-turvy governor’s race. They’re waiting to make sure they’re making the right choice.”

About 10% of the state's roughly 23 million voters had voted as of Wednesday, according to Mitchell's tracker. That includes about 15% of Republicans, 10% of Democrats and 7% of voters registered with no or another party. That breakdown is unusual because Democrats in recent years have tended to vote early while many Republicans wait until Election Day.

Board of Supervisors

Residents are guaranteed at least a small change-up on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, as longstanding Supervisor Doug Chaffee is termed out and unable to seek re-election.

Running for Chaffee's seat include Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut, Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung, Board of Education trustee Tim Shaw and former La Habra Councilmember Rose Espinoza.

The district covers North Orange County cities and surrounding unincorporated areas.

In the 5th District, Katrina Foley will run for re-election against Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, and Lucy Vellema, an educator in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The 5th District represents Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente and more.

In the 2nd District, former Santa Ana Councilmember Nelida Mendoza, commercial decorator James Wallace and business owner Kimberly Davis are challenging 2nd District Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento.

District 2 represents Santa Ana, parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim and Orange.

CA-40

The hotly-contested race to represent California's 40th Congressional District sets the stage for the Republican-on-Republican battle of incumbents Calvert and Kim.

Other contenders slated to run against the incumbents include Democrats Francis Xavier Hoffman, Claude Keissieh, Joe Kerr, Esther Kim Varet and Lisa Ramirez.

Nina Linh, who is registered no party preference, is also running for the seat.

The 40th District spans Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties and includes cities such as Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Laguna Woods, Aliso Viejo, Villa Park, eastern Orange and more.

In the 40th Congressional District, 40.15 percent of registered voters are Republicans, 31.11 percent are Democrats and 21.01 percent have no party preference.

CA-41

Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez is looking to be reelected to the House in the new 41st Congressional District.

The new district spans Orange and Los Angeles counties and includes Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Lakewood, Downey, Whittier, La Mirada and La Habra.

Running against Sánchez include fellow Democrats Hector de la Torre, Gwendolyn Molina and Shonique Williams.

Republican Mitch Clemmons is also vying for the seat.

In the new 41st Congressional District, 45.81 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 26.49 percent are Republicans and 20.69 are no party preference.

CA-42

California's 42nd Congressional District is another new district for Orange County voters. The district spans the coast, from Long Beach down to Huntington Beach and parts of Newport Beach.

Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat, has filed to run against Republicans Brian Burley, Long Pham and Noah Von Blom.

No party preference candidate Larisa Vermeulen also filed to run.

In California's 42nd Congressional District, 40.56 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 30.38 percent of voters are Republicans and 24.98 percent of voters are no party preference.

CA-45

In California's 45th Congressional District, Rep. Derek Tran — a Democrat — has filed to run against Republicans Mark Leonard, Chi Charlie Nguyen, Amy Phan West, Chuong Vo and Tom Vo.

The district encompasses Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster, as well as a portion of Los Angeles County.

In the 45th Congressional District, registered Democrats account for 38.64 percent of voters, Republicans make up 30.62 percent and no party preference accounts for 24.98 percent.

CA-46

In California's 46th Congressional District, Lou Correa — a Democrat — has filed to run.

He will be running against a few other Democratic candidates, including Frank Bahena, Christian Mendez and Armando Perez-Serrato.

Republican David Pan has also filed to run here.

The district spans Anaheim, Santa Ana and Stanton, as well as parts of Orange and Fullerton.

In California's 46th Congressional District, voter registration stats show 45.73 percent of voters are registered Democrats, 24.59 are Republicans and 23.6 are no party preference.

CA-47

A slew of candidates are running for California's 47th Congressional District, including incumbent Rep. Dave Min, a Democrat.

Running against Min include Republicans Bill Brough, Christopher Gonzales, Michael Maxsenti and Jenny Rae Le Roux.

Democrat Hunter Garcia Miranda also filed, along with Libertarian Derrick Michael Reid and no party preference runners Jesus Patino and Eric Troutman.

The 47th Congressional District includes Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest and Tustin.

In this district, 36.25 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 32.17 percent of voters are Republicans and 25.28 are no party preference.

CA-49

In California's 49th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Levin — a Democrat — filed to run for re-election. Star Parker, a Republican, also filed to run alongside Republican Armen Kurdian and Julian Arellano, a Democrat.

This district spans San Diego and Orange counties and includes Ladera Ranch, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Here, 36.42 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 32.04 percent are Republicans and 23.78 percent are no party preference.

Gubernatorial Primary

California voters headed to the polls Tuesday, facing concerns over homelessness, wildfire insurance shortages, budget deficits and soaring housing costs, as a high-profile gubernatorial primary and several competitive congressional races tested the state’s political landscape.

The governor’s race was defined by record spending, scandal and Democratic anxiety over California’s top-two primary system. Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer poured more than $195 million into television, cable and radio advertising — the largest political ad campaign in the nation this year — drawing criticism from opponents who accused him of trying to buy the governorship. Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra emerged as Steyer’s chief Democratic rival after former Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his campaign amid sexual assault allegations.

Republican former Fox News host Steve Hilton, backed by President Donald Trump, also remained a top contender in polling alongside Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, fueling fears among Democrats that a split Democratic vote could allow two Republicans to advance to the November general election. Under California’s election system, the top two finishers advance regardless of party.

Congressional Races

Congressional races across California were also under intense scrutiny following voter approval of Proposition 50, a partisan redistricting measure expected to reshape the state’s political map. Democrats are targeting several Republican-held seats as they seek to overturn the GOP’s slim House majority.

One of the most closely watched contests is in Southern California’s 40th District, where longtime Republican Rep. Ken Calvert faces fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim after redistricting combined portions of the Inland Empire and Orange County. The bitter campaign featured both candidates accusing the other of disloyalty to Trump.

In Northern California, the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s former 1st District is expected to favor Democrats after district boundaries shifted west and south, while Sacramento-area District 6 and Central Valley District 22 are also expected to be fiercely contested.

In Southern California’s newly redrawn 48th District, longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa opted to retire rather than seek reelection in a district that now leans Democratic. Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond entered the race with Issa’s endorsement but faced a crowded field of Democratic and Republican challengers in a district spanning parts of San Diego and Riverside counties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.