NBC News will put the ‘Kornacki Cam’ on the L.A. mayoral and California gubernatorial races

by

Once California polls close on Tuesday, NBC News’s Steve Kornacki will begin his analysis of the results, continuing throughout the night.

For months, the election expert, known for his khaki clothing, has been broadcasting live on the internet, providing results and analysis for special elections and certain state Senate races without interruption.

The “Kornacki Cam” is a live stream offering straightforward election results and analysis, without commentary from talking heads. Instead of brief updates, Steve Kornacki provides continuous, real-time data until all the votes are tallied.

Kornacki explained in a phone interview on Monday that everything happens right before the viewers’ eyes. The audience experiences the entire process – the increasing excitement and ultimately, the satisfying result.

NBC News’ “Kornacki Cam” sessions have already attracted 20 million viewers on YouTube. These streams, featuring Steve Kornacki, his interactive Big Board, his producer, and a camera operator, are also available on NBCNews.com, the NBC News app, and across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Immediately after polls close in California at 8 p.m. Pacific Time, the “Kornacki Cam” will begin covering the primary elections for Los Angeles mayor and various Congressional districts.

During a conversation with The Times on Monday, Steve Kornacki shared the key things he’ll be watching for on election night.

Mayoral race polls aren’t usually very accurate. Based on what you’ve observed, what’s your take on how the election is shaping up?

As a movie buff, I always say every election is different, and mayoral races are especially unique. They aren’t like those huge presidential showdowns, so honestly, there’s not a ton of past data to really help us predict how things will go. It’s tougher to get a feel for what to expect.

The polls show Mayor Karen Bass is currently the strongest candidate to make it to the runoff election. While she’s leading, Spencer Pratt has gained the most ground in recent weeks. However, polls can change quickly, and we’re prepared for any outcome.

Spencer Pratt is a surprising contender who’s managed to generate a lot of buzz in this election. Could there be a significant number of voters supporting him who aren’t telling pollsters the truth?

You can gauge Pratt’s success by looking at the results from the San Fernando Valley, which will likely account for nearly 40% of the total vote. He needs to win there decisively if he hopes to win the election. If he doesn’t perform well in the Valley, his chances elsewhere are slim. Meanwhile, Karen Bass is counting on strong support from central and south Los Angeles – potentially another third of the vote. These areas are expected to be her base. The Westside, however, is likely to be more competitive, as it holds a significant portion of the electorate.

We don’t usually cover many mayoral elections nationwide, so we’re still determining how closely we can analyze results – specifically, down to the neighborhood and precinct levels.

Turnouts usually are low for Los Angeles mayoral races. Will this year be different?

This year’s mayoral race is getting much more national attention compared to the last one in 2022. Because of this increased visibility, we expect voter turnout to be higher. A big part of this is candidate Pratt’s celebrity status, which is drawing national interest. In 2022, the total vote count was 646,000, so we’ll be closely watching to see if this year’s turnout surpasses or falls below that number.

And what will be the best indicators for the gubernatorial race?

I’m pointing to Orange County here. It was the first county in the state to finish reporting its votes in the last two major elections. For example, in 2024, it reported half of its votes by 8:06 p.m. local time. That means a huge number of votes – potentially hundreds of thousands – came in from this large county very quickly after polls closed, maybe within ten minutes. We also saw a fast turnaround of votes from parts of the Central Valley, specifically Merced and Fresno counties.

So how long are we going to have to wait for a result on Tuesday night?

In California, election results are rarely clear immediately after polls close. It usually takes days, or even weeks, to fully count all the votes, whether it’s for mayor, governor, or any other position.

Many people find it frustrating, but it’s a simple reality: candidates often receive around two-thirds of the total votes counted on election night. If the results aren’t immediately clear, the final outcome can take a long time to determine.

In California, election officials won’t declare a winner until all votes are tallied. After the initial count, they’ll begin releasing updates as they process the remaining mail-in ballots, which are often numerous. Mail-in ballots in California can arrive up to a week after the election day and will still be counted.

Do you believe your reporting is changing to match what people are looking for? We know audiences are very divided these days. Is there a large enough group of highly engaged political followers who want in-depth, unfiltered coverage?

For about twenty years, if I told people I covered politics, they’d usually avoid me or change the conversation. But things have really shifted in the last decade or so. Now, people approach me – even if they don’t know what I do – and want to discuss politics. It seems like everyone is engaged, no matter their viewpoint.

Read More

2026-06-02 02:31