Here’s what we know about California’s Senate, Proposition 1 races so far

Updated March 8, 5:36 p.m.

Elections officials continue to process and count millions of mail-in ballots from California’s primary election. 

The Secretary of State’s website shows an estimated 2.5 million ballots still need to be counted.

Every California voter was sent a mail-in ballot, the state’s favored way of running elections. While vote-by-mail is considered more secure, the ballots take longer to collect, process and count, which means some races may take days or weeks to solidify.

Elections officials have until April 5 to process and count ballots.

Leading up to the primary, ballot returns were low across California. By Friday evening, only 22% of ballots had been returned statewide, according to election firm Political Data, Inc. (The lowest turnout for a presidential primary in California history was in 2012, when then-president Barack Obama ran unopposed and 31% of California voters cast ballots.) 

This page will continue to be updated as results come in.

Proposition 1 

Proposition 1: Early results show Newsom’s mental health bond too close to call

Proposition 1, a $6.38 billion bond to build permanent supportive housing and mental health treatment facilities is still too close to call.

As of Friday evening, results show a thin margin of support from 50.6% of California voters, with 49.4% voting no.

Proposition 1 was the only ballot proposition before California voters for this election and a top priority of Newsom, who said it would help get the state’s most vulnerable people off the streets and into treatment and housing. Some Republicans and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposed the measure, along with progressive groups who worried it could lead to involuntary treatment.

Presidential Primaries

President Joe Biden won California’s Democratic primary, according to a call by the Associated Press. Early voting returns showed Biden with 89.5% of the Democratic vote Friday afternoon. 

The Associated Press called the Republican primary for former President Donald Trump, who clinched 78.5% of the early vote. With the victory, Trump will claim all of the California Republican Party’s 169 delegates after the party changed its allocation rules last year. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley had 18.1% Friday.

Senate 

Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey set to compete for California Senate seat

Early results show Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank leading with 33.2% in the race to fill the U.S. Senate seat held for decades by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. 

Republican Steve Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star, had 31.7% of early results Friday afternoon, and Fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County had 14.5%.

East Bay Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee had 8.3% Friday afternoon. 

Schiff consistently topped other candidates in polls and fundraising in the lead-up to the primary. He spent heavily on ads that painted Garvey as “too conservative for California,” effectively boosting the profile of the former baseball player over Schiff’s other Democratic opponents. 

Senate (special election)

A special election to fill the remainder of Feinstein’s senate term also appeared on the California ballot this election. The seat is currently held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed as a caretaker by Governor Gavin Newsom shortly after Feinstein’s death.

Schiff and Garvey were also leading in the race Friday afternoon. 

Garvey had 33.7% while Schiff had 30.6%. Porter had 16.6% while Lee had 10.3%.