News: Takeaways from the primary elections in California, Iowa, Los Angeles, South Dakota

Primary Election Overview

Six states ranging from California to New Jersey held primaries on Tuesday night.

California Governor's Race Update

Democratic former US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is in strong position for a November election slot.

Democratic Vote Shift Factor

Becerra's strong position is due to votes counted after Election Day in California typically being more Democratic.

Second Slot Candidates

The other November election slot is likely to go to Republican Steve Hilton or Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer.

California Governor Primary Results

Steve Hilton leads in the California Governor's race primary, followed by Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Steve Hilton	Republican	27.6%	1,333,928
Xavier Becerra	Democratic	25.5%	1,228,966
Tom Steyer	Democratic	19.6%	946,118

Los Angeles Mayor's Race Update

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to the November election after securing a leading position in the primary.

Second Place Shift

Spencer Pratt initially held second place, but later updates showed him losing ground to Nithya Raman.

Second Spot Too Early to Call

The second spot in the Los Angeles mayoral race remains too early to call due to vote counting trends.

Los Angeles Mayor Primary Runoff

Karen Bass advanced to the runoff, with Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman vying for the second spot.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Karen Bass*	Non-Partisan	36.0%	157,096
Spencer Pratt	Non-Partisan	29.4%	128,319
Nithya Raman	Non-Partisan	21.8%	95,054

Iowa Democratic Senate Primary

The Democratic establishment successfully backed Josh Turek in the Iowa Senate primary election.

Race Attention

The Iowa Senate race, though not top-tier, garnered significant attention during the Democratic primary.

VoteVets Spending

The Democratic super PAC VoteVets spent about $10 million to help state Rep. Josh Turek.

Wahls' Strategy

State Sen. Zach Wahls tried to make the race a referendum on Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.

Schumer Referendum Failed

Wahls' strategy of making the race a referendum on Schumer did not work with Democratic base voters.

Turek's Victory Margin

Josh Turek won by 25 points, sailing to a painless victory with nearly all the vote reported.

Iowa Senate Primary Results

Josh Turek decisively won the Iowa Democratic Senate primary against Zach Wahls.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Josh Turek	Democratic	62.6%	120,448
Zach Wahls	Democratic	37.4%	71,884

General Election Matchup

Turek will advance to a general election matchup against GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson.

Hinson's Favorability

Hinson is the clear favorite in Iowa, a state Trump won by 13 points in 2024.

Democratic Hope for Competitiveness

Democrats hope Trump’s tariffs could make the farm-heavy state more competitive than usual.

Turek's District Trump Backing

Turek comes from a western Iowa state legislative district that backed Trump.

Prognosticators Shift

Prognosticators on Tuesday night moved the race from a likely Republican win to merely leaning towards the GOP.

Majority Math Implication

Democrats putting the race in play would significantly help their majority math in the Senate.

Trump Endorsee Loses Iowa Governor

A Trump-backed candidate lost the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary, highlighting an imperfect endorsement record.

Trump Endorsement Record Context

Despite narratives of Trump's power, his endorsement record hasn't been flawless, especially in lower-profile races.

Previous Runoffs

Two Trump-backed candidates last month are headed for runoffs in Georgia governor and Alabama US senator primaries.

Trump Endorsee Lost

On Tuesday night, a Trump endorsee lost the Iowa Governor's primary race.

Feenstra Endorsement

Trump endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra on Friday, hoping to secure his victory in a crowded field.

Feenstra's Loss

Feenstra narrowly lost to businessman Zach Lahn in the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary.

Iowa Governor Primary Results

Zach Lahn won the Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary, narrowly defeating Trump endorsee Randy Feenstra.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Zach Lahn	Republican	37.8%	80,765
Randy Feenstra	Republican	37.0%	79,113
Adam Steen	Republican	14.5%	31,087
Brad Sherman	Republican	7.1%	15,076

First Statewide Trump Endorsee Loss

Feenstra is the first statewide Trump endorsee to lose a primary in 2026.

Lahn's General Election Opponent

Lahn, backed by Turning Point Action, now faces Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand in the general election.

Governor Race Promising for Democrats

The Iowa governor’s race might be more promising for Democrats than the US Senate race.

Iowa Primaries Outcome for Democrats

The two statewide Iowa primaries concluded favorably for Democrats, aligning with their hopes.

Democrats' Montana Senate Hopes

Democrats' Senate hopes received a slight boost in Montana, a state Trump won by double digits in 2024.

Bankhead's Nomination

The boost is attributed to a successful campaign to elevate little-known Democrat Alani Bankhead, who won the nomination.

Strategic Hope for Bankhead

Some hope Bankhead will either drop out or run a minimal campaign to empower independent Seth Bodnar against Republican Kurt Alme.

Independent Opposition Strategy

Letting independents lead opposition is a growing Democratic strategy in deep-red states; Bodnar has ties to Jon Tester.

Montana Race Worth Watching

Bankhead denied she would bow to Bodnar, but her win makes this state more worth watching.

Montana Senate Primary Results

Alani Bankhead secured the Democratic nomination in the Montana Senate primary, leading Reilly Neill and Michael Black Wolf.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Alani Bankhead	Democratic	43.6%	42,007
Reilly Neill	Democratic	32.7%	31,568
Michael Black Wolf	Democratic	13.1%	12,606

South Dakota Governor Race

An incumbent governor in South Dakota is in danger of losing his party’s nomination.

Kristi Noem Tenure

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure in Trump’s Cabinet didn’t go as planned.

Governor Rhoden Struggling

Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Noem, appears to be struggling to retain his position.

Rhoden's Primary Position

Rhoden trailed businessman Toby Doeden and was slightly ahead of Rep. Dusty Johnson in a crowded primary.

Race Not Over

The South Dakota governor's race is likely not over yet, due to specific election laws.

South Dakota Governor Primary

Toby Doeden leads the South Dakota Governor Republican primary, advancing to a runoff, with Larry Rhoden and Dusty Johnson.

Candidate	Party	Percentage	Votes
Toby Doeden	Republican	30.6%	41,831
Larry Rhoden*	Republican	25.2%	34,389
Dusty Johnson	Republican	23.4%	31,959
Jon Hansen	Republican	20.8%	28,409

Six states held primary elections Tuesday, with results revealing shifts in key races that could reshape the midterm landscape.

Primary Election Overview

California Vote Counting Delay

California Governor's Race Update

Democratic Vote Shift Factor

Second Slot Candidates

California Governor Primary Results

Los Angeles Mayor's Race Update

Second Place Shift

Second Spot Too Early to Call

Democratic Shift Impact

Los Angeles Mayor Primary Runoff

Iowa Democratic Senate Primary

Race Attention

VoteVets Spending

Wahls' Strategy

Schumer Referendum Failed

Turek's Victory Margin

Iowa Senate Primary Results

General Election Matchup

Hinson's Favorability

Democratic Hope for Competitiveness

Turek's District Trump Backing

Prognosticators Shift

Majority Math Implication

Need to Flip States

Trump Endorsee Loses Iowa Governor

Trump Endorsement Record Context

Previous Runoffs

Trump Endorsee Lost

Feenstra Endorsement

Feenstra's Loss

Iowa Governor Primary Results

First Statewide Trump Endorsee Loss

Lahn's General Election Opponent

Governor Race Promising for Democrats

Iowa Primaries Outcome for Democrats

Democrats' Montana Senate Hopes

Bankhead's Nomination

Strategic Hope for Bankhead

Independent Opposition Strategy

Montana Race Worth Watching

Montana Senate Primary Results

South Dakota Governor Race

Kristi Noem Tenure

Governor Rhoden Struggling

Rhoden's Primary Position

Race Not Over

South Dakota Runoff Law

South Dakota Governor Primary

Six States Held Primary Elections Tuesday

Primary Election Overview

California Vote Counting Delay

California Governor's Race Update

Democratic Vote Shift Factor

Second Slot Candidates

California Governor Primary Results

Los Angeles Mayor's Race Update

Second Place Shift

Second Spot Too Early to Call

Democratic Shift Impact

Los Angeles Mayor Primary Runoff

Iowa Democratic Senate Primary

Race Attention

VoteVets Spending

Wahls' Strategy

Schumer Referendum Failed

Turek's Victory Margin

Iowa Senate Primary Results

General Election Matchup

Hinson's Favorability

Democratic Hope for Competitiveness

Turek's District Trump Backing

Prognosticators Shift

Majority Math Implication

Need to Flip States

Trump Endorsee Loses Iowa Governor

Trump Endorsement Record Context

Previous Runoffs

Trump Endorsee Lost