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Los Angeles Mayoral Race; Iowa GOP's Governor Race. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired June 03, 2026 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:30]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everybody. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Polo Sandoval and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

At this hour, we are tracking early results from several key primary elections here in the United States. New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Iowa, and of course, California, they all held votes ahead of the November midterm for gubernatorial, Senate and House seats.

California's races say are some of the most watched with about 55 percent of the votes in Trump backed Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are neck and neck. The Los Angeles mayor race is also grabbing some attention throughout the country. CNN projecting that incumbent Karen Bass will be advancing to the general election in November as she hopes to secure a second term.

Bass says that she is committed to addressing the city's most dire problems.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN BASS, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: We're going to build a city where parents and kids do not have to navigate tents because in the nation's second largest city, there should never be anybody that is sleeping on our streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And early results are showing that ex-reality TV star Spencer Pratt is just behind her. He spoke to some of his supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPENCER PRATT, LOS ANGELES MAYORAL CANDIDATE: This idea that I don't represent Democrats and Republicans, and Independents, anyone that's just a Los Angeles citizen that wants basic quality of life, I'll be able to show that in five months. I didn't know I'd be here tonight, but it's obviously God's plan and I'm going to go all the way and I'm going to show everybody that I'm their mayor.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: So that's the latest in the race to lead America's second largest city. Let's go back now to California's governor's race. CNN's Arlette Saenz is tracking that for from Xavier Becerra's headquarters in Los Angeles.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: California voters will need to wait a little bit longer to learn which two candidates will face off in the governor's race in November and whether it will be a Democrat versus Democrat or a Democrat versus a Republican. No candidate was able to declare victory on Tuesday night in this incredibly crowded field, but there were two Candidates who led the pack in the early vote results.

That included Democrat Xavier Becerra, who had surged in recent months in this campaign to really be at the top or near the top of this pack of candidates. And the other was Republican Steve Hilton, who is running with the backing of President Donald Trump. Both men spoke to their supporters on Tuesday evening saying that they were prepared for the fight in November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XAVIER BECERRA, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: We will not be bought, we will not be bullied, and we are never backing down.

STEVE HILTON, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: Change is coming to California and it's long overdue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: One other candidate to keep an eye on will be the progressive candidate, Tom Steyer. He is a billionaire who poured roughly $200 million of his personal fortune into this campaign, but he has really run with a populist message. Steyer told his supporters on Tuesday night that they will need to be patient as the results continue to come in.

California, historically, is very slow in their vote counting. Part of that is due to the size of the state and also the fact that there is universal mail in ballot, allowing voters to submit their ballots up until Election Day. So all of the campaigns have been preparing for the possibility that this vote count could extend for some time, potentially days or even well into the week as California voters wait to hear which two candidates will make it into this general election matchup.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Los Angeles.

SANDOVAL: And in Los Angeles, it is 1:00am and those numbers, those ballots are still getting counted. Let's head now to get the latest on all of the races across the board. Let's start with CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten harnessing the power of his magic wall to start off with the race for LA's mayor. Take it away.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yes, I'm harnessing that power. And as we have watched, Polo, watched and we've been together now for a little bit over an hour. I've been at the magic wall since 1:00am here in the East, 10:00pm out in the West. We have seen the votes getting counted.

And what's very interesting, we're up to 55 percent of the vote now in for LA mayor, 45 percent still to go. Now, obviously, we've mentioned Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor. She's advanced to the November general election, to the runoff, 36 percent of the vote.

[04:05:02]

Now, Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman -- Pratt, although it's a nonpartisan ballot, supported by mostly Republicans, has been ahead the entire night. But Raman, another Democrat like Bass, has been closing the gap. The gap right now stands at a little bit less than 8 points.

Now, historically speaking, and based upon what we know of the remaining ballots, there's a reason why we haven't projected who gets the second spot. That is traditionally, historically speaking, those later ballot returns have been friendlier to Democrats and so far we have in fact seen Ramon closing that gap. Will she be able to close a little bit less than an eight point gap as we get on to today, tomorrow, et cetera, as those late ballots arrive, we'll just have to wait and see.

But I can tell you that Karen Bass would much rather face Spencer Pratt based upon the general election polling or the runoff polling than she would need the new Nithya Raman because she can make a much more clear Democrat versus Republican case if it's in fact Spencer Pratt who makes the general election.

Now beyond LA mayor, look, obviously we're talking about the California gubernatorial race. The key question here is who are going to be the two who advance? Throughout the evening, it's been Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra, Republican and Democrat, 1 and 2.

But the third man in the race, is he the odd man out or will he surge as more ballots get counted, is Tom Steyer the progressive candidate. As you mentioned, we've been getting more of the vote and we're now up to 56 percent of the vote. Now, again, just like we see for that mayoral race in Los Angeles, historically speaking, statewide, the later ballots tend to be more Democratic.

So Xavier Becerra probably in pretty decent shape, but we'll just have to wait and see. But Tom Steyer could get a boost and maybe you do a nice switcheroo and you flip Steyer and Hilton. But I will note if you're Xavier Becerra, one thing you absolutely have to love is, is the San Francisco area, which is where Tom Steyer lives right now, is from, that is much more Columbia blue for Xavier Becerra than it is Navy blue for Tom Steyer.

One little last thing that I will note, my dear friend, is this. I am very interested if we go down here. Let's go. We're going to go to the San Francisco area, why is that? Because this is Nancy Pelosi's seat, she is retiring after a long career in Congress. And two interesting nuggets from there, number one, the candidate she endorsed, Connie Chan, is actually running second right now. Again, it's top two advance, but running second. And more than that, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her former chief of staff, look at this, despite spending so much running, running a very distant third to Scott Wiener. I will note AOC didn't endorse him and maybe he really could have used it. Polo?

SANDOVAL: Yes. Every time we check in with you, Harry, it seems that the percentage of votes in does seem to go up.

ENTEN: It's climbing.

SANDOVAL: So a reminder that this is an ongoing situation --

ENTEN: Yes.

SANDOVAL: -- happening on the West Coast. So we're so happy that you're up with us tonight through the morning, I should say --

ENTEN: Whatever.

SANDOVAL: -- as we continue to follow this. There is no risk for the weary or the wise. Harry Enten, thank you for your analysis as always. See you in a bit, all right.

We still have a lot more to get to, especially as we continue to see the situation out West. We are following key primary races in other parts of the country. CNN is now projecting US Congresswoman Ashley Hinson will be winning the Republican nomination for Iowa Senate seat currently held by outgoing Sen. Joni Ernst.

Hinson cruised to victory, thanks in part to an endorsement from President Donald Trump and also from Ernst herself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY HINSON, PROJECTED IOWA REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR US SENATE: To my fabulous friend, Senator Ernst, she is leaving behind some pretty big combat boots to fill. But like I've told her and Iowans across the state, she has spent the last 12 years sending Washington's fattest hogs running for the hills.

And when I pick up this baton in November, you all have my word, the squealing's not going to stop. It's only going to get louder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Hinson will advance to the general election in November and also face Democrat Josh Turek. CNN is projecting that he will defeat Zach Wahls to win the Democratic nomination and a chance to help flip one of Iowa Senate seats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH WAHLS, PROJECTED IOWA DEMOCRAT NOMINEE FOR US SENATE: This campaign has been about fighting for the middle class, working families, rural communities, small family farms, and working with anyone to address rising costs, stagnant incomes and out of control corruption in DC. Iowans all over this state have heard our message and felt hope that we can change this state and change this country. Tonight is proof of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And CNN also projecting that businessman Zach Lahn, who has never held elected in office, has now won the Republican nomination in Iowa's governor's race, defeating Congressman Randy Feenstra, who was endorsed by President Trump and the party establishment.

[04:10:00]

A new Supreme Court ruling will allow Alabama to use a congressional map that will benefit Republicans in this year's midterm election. The ruling on Tuesday, it allows the state to cut one of two House districts represented by a black member of Congress who is also a Democrat.

The high court decision comes despite the fact that Alabama has already held its congressional primaries. The Alabama case, it is just the latest emergency order tied to the Supreme Court's April decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Alabama had a map where of the seven congressional districts in Alabama, two of those had been drawn to be majority black Democrat leaning districts. However, now as a result of this decision, that's going to go down to one.

And this is all based off of the Louisiana Supreme Court opinion that came down in late April. In that opinion, the US Supreme Court said, the states can essentially draw congressional lines for whatever political reasons they want. They cannot, however, consider race even either way in drawing those lines. So the state of Alabama took that opinion and said, OK, we now want to undraw one of those majority black districts and go from two down to one.

And in tonight's opinion, the Supreme Court in a 6 to 3 split, the six conservatives in the majority, the three liberals in the dissent said it's OK, Alabama, you can go ahead and do that. So the net-net out of the end of this is that, Alabama will go from two majority black Democratic leaning districts down to one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Elie Honig, our legal analyst, and there is so much to discuss. Let's head over to Caroline Heldman, a Democratic Strategist and Professor of Critical Theory and Social Justice at Occidental College. I'm also joined by Mike Madrid, the Co-Founder of the Lincoln Project and Founder of the Latino Working Class Project. Caroline, Mike, it is wonderful to have you both with me. Thank you so much for joining.

CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to see you, Polo.

MIKE MADRID, CO-FOUNDER, THE LINCOLN PROJECT: Good to be with you.

SANDOVAL: Mike, how about we start with you here. As we watch the numbers come in from California, we can start on the governor's race. We started with a little over 60 names, now it seems that it's boiling down to three, eventually down to two. And it seems that Xavier Becerra is likely to be one of them.

For Latinos in California, the biggest demographic, the largest demographic in that state, if we are to see him on the ballot, which seems very likely in a few months time, what does he need to show to fellow Latinos in that state?

MADRID: That's a fantastic question because unlike a generation ago, what we're seeing is the transformation of the Latino vote away from a racial and ethnic voting bloc and more towards an economic pocketbook voter. We're starting to see kind of blue collar cultural values replace ethnic values. And that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of correlation, but this middle class is under a lot of pressure here in California as it is throughout the country.

And Becerra's coalition is really a lot more multiracial, multiethnic than you would imagine. Most of his Latino support is sitting around 40, maybe 50 percent. Conventional wisdom would think it's probably more 75, 80 percent. That might have been a generation ago, but it's not.

You're seeing a middle class kind of revolting and pushing back against the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party and saying, we want this state fixed and Xavier Becerra is going to be the candidate to do that for us.

SANDOVAL: Caroline, to you, as we continue to see those numbers, you know, it's still too soon to say, but if we were to see Becerra facing off against his fellow Democrat, Tom Steyer, just curious, from a strategic point of view. I mean, how would that play out, and then of course, we'll get to the other perhaps likely scenario.

HELDMAN: Well, it would certainly be Becerra's preference that he run against a Republican because if he's running against Steyer, you know, this billionaire who spent over $200 million of his own money in this race, he's actually far more for progressive or liberal than Becerra and he would shift the agenda. I think that Becerra probably has the best shot of winning, but it would be a very expensive kind of implosion of the Democratic Party.

What we're actually seeing nationally, right, which is the centrist wing represented by Becerra going against the more progressive wing like the Zohran Mamdani's, the younger folks in the more, the Democratic socialists in the party. Tom Steyer doesn't identify directly as that, but he would definitely pull the agenda further to the left. And it would be a very bloody battle on the Democratic side for the next five months.

SANDOVAL: And, Caroline, what do Democrats take away from the numbers thus far in terms of Steve Hilton's performance, a Republican running in a blue, blue state, a Republican backed by a president who's experiencing some of the lowest approval numbers.

HELDMAN: I don't think that Steve Hilton has a snowball's chance in California because we are such an overwhelmingly Democratic state. He is a Trump-backed candidate, as you noted, he's also a conservative. So even though he is very charismatic, and you can see if you listen to him and you close your eyes, you wouldn't know it's a Republican, right?

[04:15:08]

He talks about affordability. He has a very compelling immigration story. But in a state like California, where we run 2 to 1 Democrats, sometimes 3 to 1, Becerra would very much like that matchup because it will be a shellacking, especially in the era of Trump.

SANDOVAL: How about we shift over to the LA mayor's race now? The top two will be facing off just in a few months time. Karen Bass, incumbent mayor who held on, will be advancing to the runoff election. Now the question is, who will she be facing?

Mike, perhaps just bring us up to speed on what voters, especially in America's second largest city, are hoping out of a potential second Karen Bass turn or if they're looking elsewhere.

MADRID: Yes, and let's be really clear about this. Karen Bass is a pretty weak incumbent. The number of people who say Los Angeles is a great place to live or is heading in the right direction are much lower than they were four years ago when she took office.

But campaigns are about choices. It's not about necessarily the choices they may want in a candidate, it's the choices before them, and Karen Bass has drawn some pretty good cards to deal with. She's got Nithya Raman, sort of a Democratic socialist candidate to her left, and Spencer Pratt, who is basically this reality TV star MAGA candidate, both of which she stands to, I think, do quite well against.

The biggest challenge is whether or not she can get through this top two election cycle tonight. And it seems she's well on her way to do that. She's been pushing Spencer Pratt, promoting his candidacy, elevating him, because she wants a Republican versus Democratic match off in a city that voted basically 17 percent for the last Republican.

So there's a real hard ceiling for Spencer Pratt. As much of excitement and the brash, you know, braggadocio style that he's got. This is still Los Angeles, and I don't think he goes much further than tonight. He will probably do pick up a couple of those Nithya Raman votes out there, but 80 percent of those Democratic socialist votes will go back and vote for Karen Bass. And I expect she's in a pretty commanding position if it is Spencer Pratt who is in the top two with her.

SANDOVAL: Caroline, for you, what do you think should be the main takeaway for Democrats in California and also at the national level? You know, Mike hits on an important point there which is the strength or lack of strength for some of these candidates. What do you think should be -- I mean, should they see this as a warning?

HELDMAN: Well, heading into the midterm elections, it is very clear looking at polling that the Democrats are not a beloved party, right? There is a lot of dissension. And of course, we're seeing the intergenerational conflict between the older guard in the party and a lot of upstarts who are challenging them in this midterm election cycle.

We are also seeing the more progressive wing against the centrist wing. But at the end of the day, Democrats have a low approval rating with their own party members because there isn't strong party and there isn't a really clear vision of the future. And I know this is kind of cliche, but most of what the energy has gone into has been opposing Donald Trump.

And while that will get you to a certain point, and I will likely give the House of Representatives to the Democrats come the midterm elections, and perhaps even the Senate because he is so disliked, the party is in a bit of disarray. Although I will very much agree with Mike that Karen Bass, although she's a very weak incumbent, she will easily beat Spencer Pratt if he is the candidate.

As you know, just somebody who is out of step with very Democratic Los Angeles and California, of course, being a Democratic stronghold more generally.

SANDOVAL: We'll see if he ends up the ballot on the ballot come November. Mike Madrid, Caroline Heldman, thank you so much. A lot up in the air, so grateful for the perspective from both of you. Thank you.

HELDMAN: Thanks, Polo.

SANDOVAL: And we have much more of our election coverage the morning after. Ahead here on CNN, the very latest numbers in the California governor's race. We'll go now. We'll be right back.

[04:19:30]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Six states they held their primaries on Tuesday night, including New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Iowa. Let's go there now with CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten, been watching those numbers all night. Harry, it's wonderful to see you.

So we already know that Trump's pick for governor in Iowa has basically lost his GOP primary. What else does that magic wall behind you tell us?

ENTEN: Well, you've stolen a little -- no, I'm just kidding. Look, this to me is just so notable, and it's so notable to me because Donald Trump has basically been invincible in Republican primaries. But it turns out that his pick, Randy Feenstra, actually went down a defeat against Zach Lahn, who supported MAHA and a lot of support from the Republican base clearly out in the great state of Iowa.

But here to me is what is so interesting, OK. If you look, you might not be able to see it, so I'll tell you it. The margin of the vote was only 1,652. It was extremely tight. It was less than a point and the margin was less than 2,000 votes. Now, why is that interesting?

Well, it's interesting to me, Polo, because Donald Trump made a late endorsement in that race. And so, we can kind of tell, hey, did that endorsement really help Feenstra all that much? Did it make a race that was going to be a blowout considerably tighter?

Here's where it gets interesting. I went on the Iowa Secretary of State's website and excuse my poor handwriting. I had to take a lot of handwriting classes in school. But I what it did tell you, and I can tell you, is that Zach Lahn actually beat Randy Feenstra among those who cast a vote on Tuesday in Iowa by about 5,000 votes.

In other words, Donald Trump's endorsement may not have helped at all. If we had the exact same Election Day vote that was the absentee vote, that is the vote cast before Election Day, Randy Feenstra would have won. Zach Lahn would have, was able to win despite Trump's endorsement and was able to win the Election Day vote despite Trump's endorsement.

Now the question is, what happens in Iowa? Does it just stay in Iowa or does it become a national picture? The thing that I will note that makes Iowa very interesting is, it is a much more rural state than, let's say, California is. And Donald Trump has been really struggling with rural voters.

[04:25:10]

If you look at the FOX News polling, for example, back in March of 2025, compare it to the latest poll in May of 2026, Donald Trump has, get this on his net approval rating among rural voters, has lost 34 percentage points off his net approval rating. That may explain what happened here in Iowa. We'll see again, though, Polo, whether it goes nationwide.

But either way, a black guy and what has traditionally been a very strong record for Donald Trump in Republican primaries.

SANDOVAL: No, it's absolutely you bring up a fascinating point there, which is if that Trump support isn't necessarily the only thing that's needed to guarantee a win, what will those future Republican candidates thinking --

ENTEN: I don't know.

SANDOVAL: -- come the midterms?

ENTEN: We'll see.

SANDOVAL: We'll turn to you, I'm sure again for an answer. By the way, your handwriting much better than mine, especially at 4:25 in the morning. Thank you, Harry.

ENTEN: Thank you. I appreciate it.

SANDOVAL: All right. Let's move now to the acting US attorney general who says it plans for a $1.8 billion so-called anti-weaponization fund at the Justice Department's. Those plans are not moving forward.

The fund was originally part of a settlement between the IRS and President Trump, members of the Trump family as well as some of their businesses. CNN's Paula Reid with more details on this sudden shift.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before House lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee Tuesday, where he officially announced that the administration will not be moving forward with its controversial $1.8 billion fund for anyone who believes they were wrongly investigated by the Justice Department.

Now, this is especially surprising because it's a rare example of the administration backing off of a controversial move. And for roughly two weeks, administration officials, including Blanche, have been insisting that not only is this fund legal, but it's something that taxpayers would want their tax dollars spent on. Lawyers both inside the administration, outside the administration remain committed to the fund even in the face of significant blowback from Republicans.

But over the past week or so, it had become clear to political advisers that this was going to be a political liability that could impact Republicans through that critical midterm period later this year. So it's that potential political cost that ultimately got them to back off of this.

But this fund is part of a larger settlement between the government and President Trump to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. And now as part of that agreement, the government agreed not to investigate the President, his family or his business for past tax issues.

Now, the acting attorney general said Tuesday that still stands. And it's clear it would take significant political blowback to get the administration to move from that part of this controversial settlement. Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

SANDOVAL: And at this hour, we are still waiting to find out who Karen Bass will be facing in the Los Angeles mayor's race in a few months. We'll be checking some of the latest vote totals that are coming out of California.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]