Key takeaways:
- California’s governor primary has largely narrowed to Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer and Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton under the state’s top-two system.
- Iowa Republicans will choose from a five-candidate governor field, while Democrat Rob Sand is unopposed for his party’s nomination.
- Iowa Democrats are selecting between Josh Turek and Zach Wahls for an open U.S. Senate seat expected to feature Republican Ashley Hinson in November.
Voters in six states head to the polls Tuesday in primaries that will shape contests for governor, Congress and the Senate, with California and Iowa drawing the most attention from both parties.
Elections in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota will set matchups in several competitive November races and test ideological divides inside the Democratic Party. California’s race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom is the largest contest on the ballot, while Iowa Democrats are choosing a Senate nominee in a state they hope to make competitive after years of Republican dominance.
California uses a top-two primary system, meaning all candidates appear on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance to November regardless of party. More than 60 candidates are running for governor, but the contest has largely narrowed to former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, billionaire activist and philanthropist Tom Steyer, and Republican Steve Hilton, a former television personality and Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Becerra, a former California attorney general and 12-term congressman, has presented himself as an experienced leader. Steyer has spent more than $213 million of his own money, according to NPR, and more than $215 million, according to the first source, while running on progressive policies including single-payer health care, taxes on oil company profits and a billionaire tax. Hilton has emphasized affordable housing, technology industries and California’s film industry.
Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, once viewed as a leading Democratic contender, dropped out after sexual misconduct and assault allegations. Newsom has stayed neutral in the race.
California voters are also deciding primaries in newly redrawn House districts. Democrats redrew the state’s congressional lines after voters approved Proposition 50, hoping to gain as many as five seats. The changes have placed several incumbents under pressure, including Republican Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, who are running against each other, and Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the Republican Party and is running as an independent in a Democratic-leaning seat.
Several Democratic incumbents, including Reps. Mike Thompson, Doris Matsui, Brad Sherman, Jimmy Gomez and Linda Sánchez, face primary challenges. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass faces Republican Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, and Democratic City Council member Nithya Raman. Trump praised Pratt’s bid, saying, “I’d like to see him do well. He’s a character.”
In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision not to seek a third term opened the state’s first governor’s race without an incumbent since 2011. Democrats have rallied behind State Auditor Rob Sand, who is unopposed and has outraised other candidates. The Republican field includes Rep. Randy Feenstra, endorsed by Trump, farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Administrative Services Director Adam Steen and former state Rep. Brad Sherman. If no Republican wins at least 35%, the nominee will be chosen at a state party convention on June 13.
Iowa Democrats are also choosing between state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls for an open Senate seat, with Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson expected to be the GOP nominee and backed by Trump. Turek, a Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball endorsed by former Sen. Tom Harkin, calls himself a “prairie populist” and has focused on opposing Medicaid cuts. Wahls, backed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and labor unions, says his campaign is about “putting Iowans over insiders.”
Other contests include New Jersey’s 7th District, where four Democrats are competing to challenge Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who NPR reported has missed more than 100 House votes since March 5 because of unspecified medical issues. In Montana, Republicans are choosing nominees to succeed retiring Sen. Steve Daines and retiring Rep. Ryan Zinke. Trump has endorsed former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme for Senate and Aaron Flint for the 1st District House seat.
New Mexico Democrats will pick a nominee to succeed term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, with former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland facing Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. In South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden faces three Republican primary challengers in his first run for a full term.
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