For a state that’s home to Hollywood, there isn’t much star power in California’s gubernatorial race. It’s a somewhat different story in Los Angeles, where a reality television personality is running for mayor as the city prepares to host the Olympics.
More primaries are being held on Tuesday as well. Democrats are banking on a rare chance to regain ground in Iowa, a rural state that has repeatedly eluded them in recent years. Republicans, meanwhile, are grappling with a New Jersey congressman whose unexplained absence could put their already slim majority at risk.
— California: Voters are weighing in on who should lead the nation’s most populous state, where there is no clear leader among candidates vying to advance in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Plus, U.S. House races are on the ballot, along with the Los Angeles mayor’s race.
— New Mexico: Contests in the state include primaries for congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat and a long list of statewide offices, but the governor’s race is the main attraction. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is running for the Democratic nomination, which could put her on a historic path for Native American leaders.
— New Jersey: One of this year’s most closely watched House midterms will take place in the battleground district represented by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has drawn public scrutiny and concern after missing more than 100 House votes due to an undisclosed medical issue. Voters are deciding which Democrat will run against him in November.
— Read more about races in Iowa, Montana and South Dakota.
Here's the latest:
Another Democratic voter sees Josh Turek as ‘best positioned’ in November
John Smith, 56, said the most important factor in his vote in Iowa’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate was identifying an individual who would be “best positioned in the general.”
Smith voted for Josh Turek over Zach Wahls.
The two state lawmakers campaigned on different visions for how to win statewide in November. Democrats want to flip the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has the backing of Trump and Ernst, is seeking the GOP nomination.
“It feels like there’s more opportunity for Democrats to gain ground this year than in past years,” said Smith, who lives in Des Moines.
California governor candidate Tom Steyer sings ‘I Won’t Back Down’
Steyer kicked off Pride Month and capped off the last full day of his primary campaign for California governor by belting out Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
A photo he posted on social media shows Steyer, wearing a backward baseball cap, singing karaoke alongside his wife Kat at a bar in the gay enclave of West Hollywood on Monday night.
“I can’t sing,” Steyer wrote Tuesday on X, “but I can wish you a Happy Pride.”
Steyer, a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist, has spent millions of his own money as he hopes to advance to the November election.
Will Republican-turned-independent congressman survive California primary?
One of California Democrats’ top targets when they redrew the state’s congressional map was Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley. They split his Northern California district in two, tethering each half to more Democratic areas near Sacramento to create two Democratic-leaning seats.
Kiley opted to run in the 6th District, which is crowded with local Democratic candidates. He became an outspoken critic of political gerrymandering and then left the Republican Party to run as an independent. That might be his best shot of survival with the new California map.
Josh Turek’s electability argument resonates with one progressive Iowa voter
Emily MacFarland, a Democrat, said she voted Tuesday feeling concerned about the nation’s democracy and the state of Iowa. She said she’s glad to see more national attention on the once-competitive state. “I’m just hoping that we can become more purple,” the 49-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, resident said. “I think that Donald Trump is helping out all of the Democrats. This is our chance, honestly.” Like other Iowa Democrats, MacFarland said she had a hard time deciding between Josh Turek and Zach Wahls, two state lawmakers competing to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. Being more progressive, she said she normally would’ve voted for Wahls. But ultimately, MacFarland chose Turek, who has said his experience winning a state House race in a red district can translate to success statewide. “I feel that he has a better shot at maybe getting a few Republicans that maybe are not happy with the Republican Party, or lean more independent,” she said.
Republicans vying to take on New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
The party has been adrift in the Democratic-leaning state since last year when its Trump-backed candidate for governor lost by double digits.
Voters face a four-way race between attorney Justin Murphy, surgeon Robert Lebovics, Army veteran Richard Tabor and former TV reporter Alex Zdan.
The winner will face Booker, the Democrat who is running for a full third term. Republicans have struggled in Senate contests in New Jersey, which they haven’t won in over five decades.
One Iowa Democrat likes that Zach Wahls won’t ‘shy away’ from his positions
Kristen Anderson, 48, and her 21-year-old daughter, Sydney Baratta of Des Moines, Iowa, both voted on Tuesday for Zach Wahls to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. Anderson said it was a “hard call” because there wasn’t anything wrong with Wahls’ competitor, Josh Turek. Many Iowa Democrats felt torn between the two state lawmakers who want to flip retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat in November. “I don’t have strong inclination that one of them is necessarily better than the other,” Anderson said. But Wahls is “not someone whose going to shy away from his stance,” she said. “He just seems like a good guy, just generally.” Baratta said she wants to see a younger person in office and that she’d be happy with either candidate. But Wahls, she said, brings fresh perspective and a vocal record protecting women’s access to abortion and public education, both important issues to her. “I’m really excited and intrigued by the fact that we might have some younger people in office who can portray my perspective a little bit more realistically,” she said.
San Francisco’s congressional seat is open for the first time in decades
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the embodiment of the Democratic establishment for some. So it was perhaps natural that a wealthy former software engineer, Saikat Chakrabarti, announced plans to challenge her in her San Francisco district.
Chakrabarti is the founder of Justice Democrats, a group that launches primaries of fellow Democrats from the left, and he’s used the millions he made in Silicon Valley to fund his campaign. But Pelosi, who has been in office for nearly 40 years, is retiring from her 11th District seat, and it’s not clear Chakrabarti will make it to the November ballot.
He faces state Sen. Scott Wiener, a well-known lawmaker who has served in San Francisco and the state capitol in Sacramento, and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who has been endorsed by Pelosi.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Pratt says it’s a two-person race between him and Bass
Republican Spencer Pratt is dismissing Nithya Raman’s campaign as “weak” and effectively over. The only real race, he says, is between him and Democratic incumbent Karen Bass.
Raman, a former Bass ally and progressive city council member, is challenging the mayor from the left.
In a social media video posted Monday, Pratt says Raman hasn’t gotten anything done during her six years in city leadership. He calls a vote for Raman a waste.
“At this point, it’s me and Karen,” Pratt says.
Trump and Vance boost California governor candidate Steve Hilton
President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged his followers to vote for Hilton, a former Fox News TV host and British political adviser.
“He will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!), and we will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance called Hilton a “good guy” and encouraged Californians to vote for him.
“California is such a beautiful state--it just needs better political leadership!” Vance wrote on X.
A progressive challenger to Bass in LA mayor’s race
Nithya Raman was once an ally to Bass, but she filed to challenge her as mayor just hours before the filing deadline. Raman described the city as “at a breaking point.”
She has promised to speed up housing construction, bring back entertainment industry jobs and improve services in a city known for dirty streets and buckled pavement.
Raman hasn’t drawn as much national chatter as Pratt, a former reality television star whose supporters have tried to boost his candidacy with AI-generated videos.
Last week, Raman took a shot at that tactic with her own video showing her flanked by supporters. “No AI was used in the making of this video,” it said.
Some California Democrats aren’t sure who to back for governor
The nation’s most populous state is dominated by Democrats, but some are unsure of who to vote for.
“I’m kind of pinching my nose and voting this go-around rather than being excited,” said Colin Culver, a 21-year-old San Diego resident who ultimately voted for Tom Steyer.
It’s been a chaotic campaign, particularly when former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race after being accused of sexual assault.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist tracking ballot returns, said some voters “are holding onto the ballot because they have seen this kind of topsy-turvy governor’s race,” and “they’re waiting to make sure they’re making the right choice.”
The Democratic primary for New Mexico governor has been combative
Two Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination to replace Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a term-limited Democrat who will leave office at the end of 2026. Sam Bregman, an Albuquerque-based district attorney, is campaigning on his law enforcement record and promises to stand up to the Trump administration.
Former congresswoman and U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has emphasized her ancestral roots in the state and experience working in the nation’s capital.
Haaland leads Bregman in fundraising by a wide margin, but the primary has become increasingly combative. Bregman’s campaign has seized on the fact that Haaland has declined multiple opportunities to debate him. Meanwhile Haaland’s campaign has cast Bregman as out of touch with everyday New Mexicans, highlighting his personal wealth.
Karen Bass wants a second term as Los Angeles mayor
By any measure, Bass’ first term has been challenging. The worst wildfire in city history began while she was traveling with a presidential delegation in Ghana. Homelessness continues to be a challenge.
“I haven’ always got it right,” Bass says.
But now she wants a second term, which would allow her to keep leading the city of 4 million people as it hosts the Olympics in 2028.
Bass is facing challenges from the left and the right. Progressive city council member Nithya Raman and Republican reality television personality Spencer Pratt are among the 14 names on the ballot.
With so many candidates, no one is likely to get a majority of the vote on Tuesday, meaning the election would be settled by a November runoff between the top two.
Battleground contest brewing in New Jersey district
One of the most closely watched House races in this year’s midterms is unfolding in the New Jersey district represented by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who’s been absent from votes for nearly three months.
Kean is running unopposed in the Republican primary, where he’s has Trump’s support. But his absence because of an undisclosed personal medical issue has generated outsized interest in the contest.
Kean is seeking a third term.
Trump says absent congressman is ‘working tirelessly’
Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is running unopposed in the primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district on Tuesday. But he’s facing growing scrutiny for an unexplained medical absence that has stretched for more than three months, causing him to miss more than 100 votes in Congress.
Trump weighed in on social media late Monday, saying Kean was “working tirelessly” to support the MAGA agenda.
Though Kean isn’t facing any GOP competition today, he’s seeking reelection this fall in one of the few genuinely competitive congressional districts left on the map. Several Democrats vying to take him on in the general election have made his absence — and the lack of clarity surrounding it — a central part of their message.
Democrats hope to dislodge GOP incumbent by redrawing his California district
Every two years, the attention of the nation’s political class is riveted on a Democratic-leaning congressional district in California’s Central Valley. Republican Rep. David Valadao has been able to fend off repeated Democratic challengers, except in 2018, when he barely lost. But he ran again two years later and reclaimed the seat.
Democrats redrew the district to make it even tougher for Valadao. They recruited a moderate who represents the area in the state capital, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, to run against him. But she’s had to battle a more liberal rival, political science professor and school board member Randy Villegas. The primary will determine Valadao’s next opponent.
California uses a top-2 primary system
That means all candidates are on the same ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. California has used that system for more than a decade.
It’s occasionally resulted in two candidates from the same party competing against each other in a general election. That happened most notably in U.S. Senate races in 2016 and 2018, when two Democrats faced off.
In the governor’s race, though, one Republican and one Democrat have always advanced to November. Democrats had feared a lockout this year given their large field of candidates. But those worries have diminished in the race’s closing weeks.
Republican candidates for governor say California needs a change
A Democrat has held the governor’s office since 2011, when Jerry Brown took over from Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Democrats have also had a firm grip on the state Legislature.
Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco say that means Democrats are to blame for the state’s expensive gas and housing, its homelessness crisis and a slew of other problems. Both have pledged to reduce regulations and taxes.
Hilton has President Donald Trump’s backing. That could help him in the primary but hurt him in the general election in the heavily Democratic state.
Republicans will fight hard to keep the Iowa US Senate seat
Holding on to Iowa is a big part of the GOP’s plan to keep its U.S. Senate majority.
A super PAC affiliated with Senate Republicans has pledged $29 million to help ensure the seat stays in GOP hands.
California uses a top-2 primary system
That means all candidates are on the same ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. California has used that system for more than a decade.
It has occasionally resulted in two candidates from the same party competing against each other in a general election. That happened most notably in U.S. Senate races in 2016 and 2018, when two Democrats faced off.
In the governor’s race, though, one Republican and one Democrat have always advanced to November. Democrats had feared a lockout this year, given their large field of candidates. But those worries have diminished in the race’s closing weeks.
5 Republicans want to be Iowa governor
The candidates are U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman and former conservative political director Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former director of the state Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen.
If no candidate earns at least 35% of Republican primary voters, the nominee would be selected at a contested state party convention.
Trump endorsed Feenstra on Friday, saying on social media that “Randy is MAGA all the way!”
2 veteran California US House members draw generational challenges
The generational fighting that has been ripping through the Democratic Party continues in California’s primaries.
In the Los Angeles-area’s 32nd District, 42-year-old lawyer Jake Levine is challenging Brad Sherman, 71, a 15-term member of the House of Representatives.
And in the 7th District near Sacramento, 40-year-old city councilwoman Mai Vang is challenging Doris Matsui, 81, who has held the seat since her husband, a congressman himself for decades, died in 2005.
California Democrat’s spending dwarfed his rivals
Tom Steyer, the former hedge fund manager turned climate activist, spent nearly $200 million of his money on advertising alone.
The billionaire’s ad campaign was the most expensive in the country by far this election cycle. The data comes from advertising tracker AdImpact.
Steyer’s rivals in the governor’s race and his critics have accused him of trying to buy the election.
But he’s defended his spending, saying he is fighting against powerful corporate interests that are driving up the price of living in the state. Pacific Gas & Electric, a major California utility, is among the corporations and business interests funding anti-Steyer ads.
“I’m only working for the people of California,” Steyer said last week.
3 Republicans seek party nomination for New Mexico governor
They are former mayor of fast-growing Rio Rancho Gregg Hull, cannabis business owner Duke Rodriguez and public relations professional Doug Turner.
While Hull and Turner have not aligned their campaigns with the MAGA movement, Rodriguez was recently served a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm representing Trump for “deceptive use” of the president’s image in campaign materials. That contest's winner faces an uphill battle to win in a state where a Republican has not been elected to statewide office in 10 years.
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