Republican Steve Hilton led California’s crowded governor primary with nearly 60% of ballots counted, while Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer competed for the second runoff spot. Primaries in New Jersey, Iowa, New Mexico and other states also set up key 2026 midterm races.
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California’s crowded governor primary remained unresolved, with Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton leading as votes were counted. Primaries in Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana and South Dakota also set key November matchups.
Zach Lahn defeated Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra in Iowa’s Republican primary for governor, setting up a general election against Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand. The upset marked the first primary loss this cycle for a Trump-backed candidate for governor, House or Senate.
Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson won their Iowa U.S. Senate primaries and will compete to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. The race is expected to draw heavy outside spending as both parties assess Democrats’ chances in a Republican-leaning state.
Voters in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota are casting ballots in primaries that will shape key races for governor, Congress and the Senate. California’s top-two governor’s race and Iowa’s open-seat contests are among the most closely watched.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which takes effect immediately. The law has been met with criticism from abortion rights advocates, who argue that it is unconstitutional and violates the rights of women. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has promised to challenge the law in court.
Donald Trump Skips Major Iowa GOP Event, Drawing Criticism from Iowa Residents and Political Leaders
Donald Trump Skips Major Iowa GOP Event, Drawing Criticism from Iowa Residents and Political Leaders
Donald Trump will not be attending the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Friday, a major gathering of Republican presidential hopefuls and Iowa GOP voters. His absence has been met with criticism from Iowa residents and Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of the Family Leader. The summit is an important event for Republican presidential hopefuls, as it is hosted by a prominent evangelical Christian group in a state where those voters make up the majority of likely GOP caucusgoers. It is unclear why Trump has chosen to skip the event, but it is likely to have an impact on the outcome of the Iowa primaries.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has called for a special legislative session on July 11th to enact "pro-life legislation," after a Des Moines Register poll showed that 61 percent of Iowans support abortion rights. The session is expected to be contentious, as it will pit those who support abortion rights against those who are strongly in favor of pro-life principles.