Los Angeles Senate District 26: Hernandez Lead Narrows to 20,093 Votes in November 5 Update

LOS ANGELES — NOVEMBER 5, 2026. The latest publicly posted count for California State Senate District 26 lists Sara Hernandez at 98,008 votes (55.7%) and Sarah Rascón at 77,915 (44.3%). Hernandez’s unofficial lead is 20,093 votes out of 175,923 counted. The Ballot Book identifies this as the Thursday, November 5, 9:30 a.m. update, reflecting 8,237 newly reported votes since Wednesday evening.

How Thursday’s batch changed the margin

At 5:46 p.m. Wednesday November 4, the tracker showed Hernandez with 94,387 votes and Rascón with 73,299 — a 21,088-vote margin. Thursday morning’s batch brought 3,621 additional votes for Hernandez and 4,616 for Rascón. Consequently, the difference narrowed by 995 votes to 20,093, even though Hernandez remained ahead in the tabulation. This is a comparison of two documented snapshots, not a prediction about the final outcome.

Who is on the ballot?

Both candidates are Democrats competing for the seat held by departing Sen. María Elena Durazo. Hernandez is a community college trustee; Rascón is an East Los Angeles planning commissioner. CalMatters reported substantial independent political spending in the district. Spending by independent committees is not the same as spending controlled by a candidate and does not determine the validity of recorded ballots.

Why local residents should follow the seat

Senators help set statewide policy on housing, public education, transportation and employment. District 26 includes Los Angeles-area voters whose priorities may vary across neighborhoods. The election is distinct from the Los Angeles mayoral and City Council contests reported separately by California58.

What happens next?

The county will continue to verify and count eligible ballots. In California, ballots postmarked on or before November 3 can arrive through November 10, and final official county results are due by December 3. The Secretary of State will certify statewide results on December 11. Read California58’s pre-election candidate profiles for campaign background.

Sources: The Ballot Book, November 4–5 vote history; CalMatters on Senate District 26; California Secretary of State counting and certification deadlines. No winner declared.

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