For a state that\u2019s home to Hollywood, there isn\u2019t much star power in California\u2019s gubernatorial race. It\u2019s a somewhat different story in Los Angeles, where a reality television personality is running for mayor as the city prepares to host the Olympics.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u2014 California: Voters weighed in on who should lead the nation\u2019s most populous state, where there is no clear leader among candidates<\/a> vying to advance in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Plus, U.S. House races<\/a> are on the ballot, along with the Los Angeles mayor\u2019s race<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 New Jersey: One of this year\u2019s most closely watched House midterms<\/a> will take place in the battleground district<\/a> represented by Rep. Tom Kean Jr.<\/a>, who has drawn public scrutiny and concern after missing more than 100 House votes due to an undisclosed medical issue. Democratic voters selected Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, to take him on this fall.<\/p>\n LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman says she trusts the voters<\/p>\n Raman is a member of the City Council and is running to the left of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.<\/p>\n Raman spoke to reporters as she entered an election night gathering as polls were closing.<\/p>\n She said she loves Los Angeles because it has given so much to her family.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I want to do is to preserve this as a city that continues to allow immigrants to come here, to dream big here, to feel safe here,\u201d she said.Here’s the latest:<\/p>\n Zach Lahn wins<\/p>\n Republican nomination for Iowa governor<\/p>\n Lahn defeated four Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who was endorsed by Trump.<\/p>\n Lahn owns an investment company and lives on a farm in eastern Iowa that has been in his family for a century. He previously worked for conservative political organization Americans for Prosperity.<\/p>\n Lahn will face State Auditor Rob Sand, the lone Democrat currently holding statewide office, in November. They are running to replace outgoing GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds.<\/p>\n Unopposed in his primary and absent a clear Republican opponent, Sand has had a long runway to hone his moderate message and amass an $18 million campaign chest.<\/p>\n Tom Steyer says he\u2019ll \u2018wait til every ballot is counted\u2019 in California governor\u2019s race<\/p>\n The billionaire climate activist told supporters he and his backers \u201cknow we finished really strong.\u201d<\/p>\n Steyer pledged to advance progressive policies like universal healthcare and aggressive climate policy, ideas he reiterated as votes were still being tallied.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should have a system based on fairness, not on asking for fairness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Steyer\u2019s campaign spent or booked more than $203 million<\/a> in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio, yielding accusations from some that he had tried to buy the election.<\/p>\n But Steyer noted that major corporate interests, including a major California utility, dumped money into defeating him because he\u2019s the candidate willing to take them on.<\/p>\n \u201cI welcome their hatred,\u201d Steyer said.<\/p>\n LA Mayor Karen Bass thanks supporters, predicts winning a second term<\/p>\n Bass thanked supporters for having faith in her after a tough first term and predicted she will win in November.<\/p>\n Early returns in the race are coming in.<\/p>\n Bass told supporters she appreciated the support when others doubted her.<\/p>\n \u201cI love you. I appreciate you. I appreciate you for believing in me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Bass, a Democrat, is facing challengers from both ends of the political spectrum.<\/p>\n Bass told supporters she\u2019d devoted her life to serving the city and \u201cI\u2019m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November.\u201d<\/p>\n California Rep. Brad Sherman survives challenge from younger Democrat for House seat<\/p>\n The 15-term congressman has advanced to the November general election after defeating a challenger seeking generational change.<\/p>\n Sherman, 71, was being pushed by Jake Levine, a 42-year-old lawyer who argued that it was time to move on from the veteran lawmaker.<\/p>\n The 32nd District stretches from the San Fernando Valley to Malibu and is considered a safe seat for Democrats.<\/p>\n GOP nominee Gregg Hull says he\u2019ll have momentum in New Mexico governor\u2019s race<\/p>\n \u201cThis fall, we will face Deb Haaland in the general election and we\u2019re going to win,\u201d Hull said. \u201cAnd I respect that she has served in various positions over her career, but New Mexico families are hurting, and the policies of the last eight years under one-party control of this state have failed.\u201d<\/p>\n A grandfather, Hull said he wants to bring high-paying jobs to the state so young people won\u2019t have to leave.<\/p>\n The U.S. Senate general election fundraising battle has already begun in Montana<\/p>\n The winners of tonight\u2019s U.S. Senate primaries in Montana face an uphill fundraising battle to catch up with independent candidate Seth Bodnar. Bodnar, who advances directly to the November general election, has raised more money than all Democratic candidates on tonight\u2019s ballot combined.<\/p>\n Bodnar has also outraised Kurt Alme, who won the Republican nomination tonight. Alme, who is backed by Trump, will test whether the weight of Trump\u2019s endorsement can overcome a substantial fundraising disadvantage.<\/p>\n Rep. Randy Feenstra concedes in Iowa GOP governor primary to Zach Lahn<\/p>\n Feenstra, who was endorsed by Trump, said late Tuesday that he called Lahn to concede. The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race.<\/p>\n Feenstra told supporters in Hull that the outcome \u201cwasn\u2019t what we probably wanted\u201d but that it would start a new chapter. He said he called Lahn to tell him to \u201ccarry the torch\u201d and offered a prayer as he continues the campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cI am all in to help him out,\u201d Feenstra said. \u201cLet us never hang our heads.\u201d<\/p>\n The U.S. Senate general election fundraising battle has already begun in Montana<\/p>\n The winners of tonight\u2019s U.S. Senate primaries in Montana face an uphill fundraising battle to catch up with independent candidate Seth Bodnar. Bodnar, who advances directly to the November general election, has raised more money than all Democratic candidates on tonight\u2019s ballot combined.<\/p>\n Bodnar has also outraised Kurt Alme, who won the Republican nomination tonight. Alme, who is backed by Trump, will test whether the weight of Trump\u2019s endorsement can overcome a substantial fundraising disadvantage.<\/p>\n Supporters wait outside watch party, hopeful for a glimpse of Spencer Pratt<\/p>\n While A-listers finished arriving at Spencer Pratt\u2019s election night party, a growing gaggle of supporters were outside waiting to see if they could catch a glimpse of the LA mayoral candidate.<\/p>\n Susie Tho, 38, said she came because she wanted to shake Pratt\u2019s hand and congratulate him.<\/p>\n Tho said she is a Democrat but voted for Pratt, even though she worried she would be judged for it. She was born and raised in LA and said she was voting for a change after feeling like the city had \u201cgone downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted a clean and safe street for my child to grow up in,\u201d she said. \u201cI miss the LA that I grew up in.\u201d<\/p>\n Democratic lawmaker Scott Wiener advances in bid to replace Nancy Pelosi<\/p>\n The California state senator joined the scramble among Democrats to replace the retiring former House speaker.<\/p>\n Pelosi is a San Francisco political institution. The competition has been fierce among Democrats to replace her in the safely Democratic 11th District seat.<\/p>\n Republican Jim Desmond advances in redrawn Southern California House district<\/p>\n The San Diego County supervisor advances to the November ballot in a San Diego-area congressional seat that Democrats redrew to give their party a shot at a pickup.<\/p>\n Desmond was endorsed by Trump and Rep. Darrell Issa, a conservative who retired rather than run in the new 48th District.<\/p>\n San Jose mayor says his campaign for California governor is ending<\/p>\n Democrat Matt Mahan acknowledged to supports shortly after polls closed that he wouldn\u2019t be moving on to the November general election.<\/p>\n Mahan entered the race in January to major fanfare from tech and business leaders who poured millions into his campaign. But he struggled to translate that into broader name recognition and support.<\/p>\n Mahan said his work on homelessness and housing helped improve the campaign and that he would continue to make his voice heard for the well-being of Californians.<\/p>\n \u201cOur mission has only just begun,\u201d he told supporters.<\/p>\n Gregg Hull is Republican nominee for New Mexico governor<\/p>\n Hull has pointed to his time as mayor of fast-growing Rio Rancho as a blueprint for how he would govern, promising to attract large employers to a state where poverty rates are among the highest in the nation and wages among the lowest.<\/p>\n He beat out small business owners Duke Rodriguez<\/a> and Doug Turner for the GOP nomination and will face an uphill battle in the general election. Republicans have not won a statewide office in New Mexico in 10 years.<\/p>\n Spending in California\u2019s governor race shatters records<\/p>\n This year is already shaping up to be costly for elections across the country, with candidates in Texas, Illinois, Kentucky and Georgia setting spending records within their state or office. But nothing comes close to the amount spent by billionaire and California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. He has spent over $200 million of his own money to fund his campaign, setting the record for both the costliest campaign this year and in California gubernatorial history.<\/p>\n California\u2019s voters: by the numbers<\/p>\n California stands as the most populous state in the country with a citizen voting-age population of 26.1 million in 2024. Its electorate is also one of the most diverse. Nearly one-third of California voters identify as Hispanic or Latino, which is the second-highest share among all U.S. states. Asians make up 15% of the state\u2019s voters.<\/p>\n The state stands out economically as well with a median household income of $102,870, over $20k more than the U.S. median. Despite its reputation as a Democratic stronghold, California\u2019s political landscape is far from monolithic. Rising housing costs, immense income inequality and regional identities contribute to complex cross-sections of political identities that complicate sweeping state narratives.<\/p>\n Mid-decade redistricting in California<\/p>\n California\u2019s primaries<\/a> are taking place in newly drawn congressional districts approved by voters last November<\/a>. The map, pushed forward by Gov. Newsom, was designed to create more favorable conditions for Democrats. It came in response to Trump\u2019s call for redistricting that would bolster Republicans\u2019 position in midterms this fall.<\/p>\n Crowd roars as Haaland takes stage as Democratic nominee for New Mexico governor<\/p>\n A mariachi band played and supporters chanted \u201cDeb! Deb! Deb!\u201d as Haaland arrived on stage to address the crowd.<\/p>\n She outlined her own time as a single mother in saying she\u2019s experienced struggles that are familiar to many New Mexicans. But, she said, a better New Mexico is possible with grit, creativity and persistence.<\/p>\n She said she\u2019d work to lower costs, make healthcare more accessible, improve education and make communities safer.<\/p>\n Iowa\u2019s Democratic US Senate candidate Josh Turek says he feels hope<\/p>\n Turek said he wants to help families like his own be able to achieve the American Dream once again and be \u201ca voice for the voiceless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am feeling hope here in Iowa for the first time in a very long time,\u201d Turek said to big cheers.<\/p>\n Turek thanked his Democratic primary opponent, Zach Wahls, for making him a stronger candidate. He soon pivoted to Ashley Hinson, the Republican he will face in the general election, arguing the congresswoman doesn\u2019t serve everyday Iowans.<\/p>\n \u201cI will fight for you \u2014 all of you \u2014 no matter what,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Spencer Pratt and his supporters are arriving at an LA restaurant<\/p>\n Pratt entered with his wife, Heidi Montag.<\/p>\n Some supporters are wearing campaign hats and t-shirts, while others are in full glam as they pull up to the valet stand.<\/p>\n Dozens of news cameras and reporters are set up in front of a black curtain blocking off the entrance of the Mexican restaurant.<\/p>\n Fellow former reality TV star Brody Jenner was among those seen arriving.<\/p>\n Iowa Democrat Josh Turek celebrates nomination for Senate<\/p>\n Turek smiled and popped a wheelie on his chair as he approached the stage to celebrate his primary win. Democrats in Des Moines roared with excitement.<\/p>\n \u201cIowa sure does love an underdog, and we have done it tonight,\u201d he said. \u201cI am honored to be your nominee.\u201d<\/p>\n A sea of campaign signs were lifted in the air.<\/p>\n Joe Mitchell is GOP nominee for Ashley Hinson\u2019s Iowa US House district<\/p>\n Mitchell was endorsed by Trump.<\/p>\n He defeated state Sen. Charlie McClintock in the Republican-leaning 2nd District.<\/p>\n The seat is open because Hinson is running for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n Emergency at bank leads California Democrat to cancel election night party<\/p>\n State Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, who is competing for a chance to face vulnerable Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao in November, announced she was canceling the party because of the incident.<\/p>\n Police remained encircled around a bank<\/a> Tuesday evening in downtown Bakersfield, where a man was holding several people inside.<\/p>\n In her statement, Bains said she was canceling the event \u201cto avoid creating a large gathering of people in close proximity to this incident.\u201d<\/p>\n Steve Hilton wants to break Democrats\u2019 winning streak in California<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot let this chance for change slip away,\u201d said Hilton, a former Fox News host who has Trump\u2019s endorsement in the California governor\u2019s race.<\/p>\n California hasn\u2019t had a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.<\/p>\n Hilton said he can win if he and one of his Democratic rivals advance to the general election in November. He\u2019s pledging to cut regulations and reduce costs in the state.<\/p>\n \u201cThis state needs change, and it can\u2019t be provided by a Democrat,\u201d he told reporters in Southern California about an hour before polls were set to close.<\/p>\n Haaland greeted by supporters, including from her own community of Laguna Pueblo<\/p>\n Singers from Laguna Pueblo, where Haaland is an enrolled citizen, congratulated her on winning the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor. Then, they performed traditional songs to honor her.<\/p>\n Haaland thanked New Mexicans earlier on social media for \u201cbelieving in what we can build together.\u201d<\/p>\n Supporters were gathered in the Old Town neighborhood of Albuquerque for the event that included a prayer in Tiwa, one of many Native languages spoken among tribes in the state, and traditional hoop dancing.<\/p>\n Democratic Governors Association head says Haaland\u2019s life story \u2018one of resilience\u2019<\/p>\n Chair Andy Beshear said Haaland, a former tribal administrator who helped oversee education and childcare programs, will be a champion for New Mexico\u2019s residents.<\/p>\n \u201cShe knows the pain New Mexicans are feeling right now, which is why she will never stop fighting to bring down costs and create jobs, strengthen schools, expand affordable health care, and create safer communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zach Wahls vows support for winning Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek<\/p>\n \u201cThe work that we began together one year ago this month does not end tonight. It is going to end in November when Rep. Josh Turek defeats Ashley Hinson in November,\u201d Wahls, a state senator from Iowa City, told supporters in an upstairs bar near the University of Iowa.<\/p>\n Wahls praised his competitor, despite disagreements over policy the future of the party.<\/p>\n \u201cJosh and I competed hard against each other,\u201d he said. \u201cJosh is a good man. He will be an infinitely better United States senator than Ashley Hinson.\u201d<\/p>\n The room burst into applause.<\/p>\n Hinson, Iowa\u2019s 2nd District representative, easily won the Republican primary Tuesday for the seat being vacated by two-term GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, who is not seeking a third term.<\/p>\n Iowa\u2019s vote history keeps the Senate seat in play for Democrats<\/p>\n Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek won tonight\u2019s U.S. Senate primaries in Iowa, setting the stage for a competitive race in the fall.<\/p>\n Democrats are eyeing the open seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. Before Ernst\u2019s election in 2014, Iowa was represented by Democrat Tom Harkin for three decades, marking a period where Democrats were still competitive statewide.<\/p>\n Iowa also backed former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, indicating how a strong Democratic candidate can resonate with Iowa voters despite the state\u2019s recent Republican lean.<\/p>\n Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks wins GOP nomination in Iowa\u2019s 1st District<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks defeated David Pautch, who also ran against her in 2024.<\/p>\n Miller-Meeks went on to eke out a win in the general election that year, earning a third term after a recount confirmed her roughly 800-vote lead over Democrat Christina Bohannan.<\/p>\n Ashley Hinson speaks of bipartisanship after winning Iowa\u2019s Republican US Senate primary<\/p>\n Hinson dubbed it \u201ca resounding victory\u201d in a statement, before listing what she wanted to continue doing in Congress: make life more affordable, take on \u201cBig Pharma and Big Health Insurance\u201d and \u201croot out corruption in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy record is one of delivering bipartisan results for Iowans, and that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019ll do in the United States Senate. I\u2019ll work with anyone, from any party, to get things done for Iowa,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Iowa Democrats cheer and wave Josh Turek signs in Des Moines<\/p>\n The supporters started waving the campaign signs featuring Turek\u2019s signature Paralympic gold medal after The Associated Press called the race in his favor.<\/p>\n Turek defeated Zach Wahls for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Cheers erupted after CNN announced the race call live on air.<\/p>\n Turek, a relative newcomer to elected office, won his state House seat in 2022. He played professional wheelchair basketball in Europe, and he competed for the U.S. in four Paralympics, including as recently as 2021.<\/p>\n Christina Bohannan came close to winning Iowa\u2019s 1st District in 2024<\/p>\n The winner of the Democratic primary for the district in southeast Iowa is seeking the seat for the third time.<\/p>\n She defeated first-time candidate Travis Terrell in the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n An LA Democrat sees hope in outsider Spencer Pratt<\/p>\n Pratt has campaigned on disillusionment with the city\u2019s liberal leadership, something that was echoed by his supporters at a block party on Sunday.<\/p>\n Deanna Madrid, a Democrat, was particularly frustrated by the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir ideas never pan out in the reality,\u201d she said. \u201cThey ignore the residents.\u201d<\/p>\n She believes Mayor Karen Bass, also a Democrat, has done too little with homelessness, while bungling the devastating Palisades Fire \u2014 which destroyed Pratt\u2019s home and thousands of others \u2014 and its aftermath. Madrid said Pratt represented change from the city\u2019s status quo.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe he\u2019s running on his truth. And his truth is now our truth,\u201d Madrid said.<\/p>\n Josh Turek wins Iowa Democratic US Senate primary<\/p>\n Turek is a former Paralympian and relative newcomer to public office, winning his state House seat in 2022.<\/p>\n His primary race against Zach Wahls was upended by a flood of outside support that boosted him in the final stretch. Democratic political operation VoteVets spent millions of dollars to blanket the airwaves, social media and mailboxes.<\/p>\n He will next try to flip the seat currently held by GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, who is retiring.<\/p>\n Deb Haaland wins Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor<\/p>\n One of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the nation\u2019s first Native American Cabinet secretary could break another political barrier. As the Democratic nominee for governor, she is on her way to become the first Native American to hold that position in any U.S. state.<\/p>\n Haaland\u2019s primary win makes her the frontrunner in November. Democrats have consolidated control over every statewide elected office in New Mexico over the past decade.<\/p>\n As interior secretary<\/a> under President Joe Biden, Haaland championed public lands conservation and oversaw a first-of-its-kind federal investigation<\/a> into the abuse of Native American children at government-run boarding schools. On the campaign trail in New Mexico, Haaland focused on reducing costs for families while emphasizing her ancestral roots in the state and experience in the nation\u2019s capital. She\u2019s a member of Laguna Pueblo.<\/p>\n US Supreme<\/p>\n Court allows Alabama to use congressional map favoring Republicans in this year\u2019s elections<\/p>\n The Supreme Court<\/a> on Tuesday allowed Alabama to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year\u2019s elections, blocking a lower court ruling<\/a> that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against Black people.<\/p>\n The justices granted the state\u2019s emergency appeal to use a map it adopted three years ago that has a majority-Black population in just one of its seven congressional districts.<\/p>\n The high-court order is the latest development in a redistricting frenzy that is part of a broader push by President Donald Trump to try to hold on to Republicans\u2019 slim House majority in the November elections. It comes a day before an important deadline that Republican Gov. Kay Ivey had already extended in the state\u2019s desire to use the map in special primary elections in August.<\/p>\n Rebecca Bennett tells Rep. Tom Kean Jr. \u2018we are coming for you\u2019<\/p>\n Addressing supporters at an Election Night party after winning the Democratic nomination in New Jersey\u2019s battleground 7th District, Bennett called the Republican incumbent a \u201ccoward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are failing us, and you do not deserve to represent us in Washington,\u201d the former Navy helicopter pilot said to Kean, who has been away from Congress<\/a> with an unspecified illness for months.<\/p>\n Bennett\u2019s victory over three other Democrats in the closely-watched district sets up the state\u2019s premier contest in November. The district has flipped in the last two midterm elections.<\/p>\n Introducing his wife, Bennett\u2019s husband told the crowd that Tuesday marks their 14th wedding anniversary.<\/p>\n Ashley Hinson wins GOP nomination to replace Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst<\/p>\n Hinson, who is endorsed by Trump and Ernst, defeated former state Sen. Jim Carlin.<\/p>\n The former TV anchor is in her third term representing Iowa\u2019s 2nd District, in the northeastern part of the state.<\/p>\n She got into the race for Senate<\/a> almost immediately after Ernst said she was retiring. Hinson won her most recent election with the support of 57% of voters.<\/p>\n A closer look at New Mexico\u2019s voting population<\/p>\n New Mexico<\/a> has the highest share of Hispanic or Latino voters among U.S. states and the second-highest share of American Indian or Alaska Native voters, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.<\/p>\n Despite Indigenous people accounting for nearly a tenth of New Mexico\u2019s voting-eligible population, New Mexico did not elect its first Native American member of Congress until Deb Haaland\u2019s historic victory in 2018.<\/p>\n After serving as U.S. secretary of the interior under former President Joe Biden, Haaland is running in tonight\u2019s Democratic gubernatorial primary.<\/p>\n Rebecca Bennett wins Democratic primary in New Jersey\u2019s 7th District<\/p>\n Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, will take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. this fall. Her win over three other Democrats in the closely-watched district sets up the state\u2019s premier contest for November, when the party hopes they can flip the seat.<\/p>\n Winning in districts like the 7th, which includes bedroom communities and farm towns as well as Trump\u2019s Bedminster golf club, will be key to Democratic hopes of gaining control of the narrowly divided House.<\/p>\n The win comes as Kean has missed more than 100 votes in the House because of a medical issue that his office has declined to specify.<\/p>\n Republican voter in Sacramento suburb says she\u2019s frustrated with state\u2019s high costs<\/p>\n Rosamaria Cerezo, a 57-year-old substitute teacher, said Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have failed to make California more affordable.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth my husband and I have two jobs each just to make ends meet,\u201d Cerezo said outside a polling location in Elk Grove.<\/p>\n She planned to vote for Republican Steve Hilton, a conservative commentator, in the crowded race to replace Newsom. She wanted to back the GOP candidate she thought had the best chance of advancing to the general election in November.<\/p>\n Democratic voters in a Sacramento suburb split on contentious race<\/p>\n Outside a polling location in Elk Grove, Tamara Alton, a 65-year-old marriage and family therapist, said she was voting for incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui in the 7th District.<\/p>\n Alton said she\u2019s more familiar with Matsui than her younger challenger, Democrat Mai Vang, a Sacramento City Council member.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going with who I know,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Democrat Khydeeja Alam, 42, a small farmer who also works for the state, said she planned to vote for Vang.<\/p>\n Alam, who is Muslim, said Matsui didn\u2019t do enough to engage with Muslim Americans after the war in Gaza began.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not been accessible, which has been a really big disappointment,\u201d Alam said.<\/p>\n New Jersey\u2019s 7th Congressional District: By the numbers<\/p>\n New Jersey\u2019s 7th District<\/a> remains one of the most competitive U.S. House districts in the country. In 2018, former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski unseated longtime Republican incumbent Leonard Lance, flipping the seat after decades of GOP control.<\/p>\n Malinowski managed to hold off now-Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in 2020, but following redistricting, the district seesawed back to Republicans in 2022 when Kean won by 2.8 points.<\/p>\n In 2024, Kean expanded his margin to 5.4 points, but Trump won the district by only 1.1 points that same year, making the race for this seat anyone\u2019s game.<\/p>\n California voter says he has \u2018no political home\u2019<\/p>\n John Sileo, a 65-year-old business owner, said he voted for candidates who would put a check on Trump and also California\u2019s liberal government.<\/p>\n The self-described moderate Republican said he never liked Trump and voted for Democrat Joe Kerr for Congress rather than the two Republican contenders.<\/p>\n \u201cTrump has a monopoly now and you\u2019ve got to at least turn the House,\u201d he said outside a vote center in Orange.<\/p>\n Sileo said he refused to vote for Steve Hilton for California\u2019s governor because he is backed by Trump, and wouldn\u2019t vote for Xavier Becerra because he sees him as a continuation of Democrats\u2019 policies in the state.<\/p>\n \u201cI voted for Tom Steyer because at least he\u2019s a disruptor,\u201d he said. \u201cHe was the best of poor choices.\u201d<\/p>\n LA voter says she went with \u2018anybody but Spencer Pratt\u2019 for mayor<\/p>\n Deanna Crane, 33, said \u201canyone with a pulse other than Spencer Pratt\u201d would suffice for mayor.<\/p>\n She ultimately went with Nithya Raman because she was unhappy with the way Karen Bass handled the wildfires last January as well as her progress on addressing homelessness.<\/p>\n She said the main issue on her mind was broadly \u201ccommunity,\u201d making sure the people around her were cared for and could afford to live. She went with Tom Steyer in the governor\u2019s race because she felt like he was the most progressive candidate.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t particularly love voting for a billionaire,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was a rough one.\u201d<\/p>\n New Jersey voter thinks politicians should have military service background<\/p>\n Frank Coit is a retired orthopedic shoe store owner and Democratic voter from Somerville, where he said he voted for Rebecca Bennett for U.S. House.<\/p>\n A Vietnam War Army veteran, Coit said he liked and appreciated her military service. Bennett served about 15 years in the Navy, working as a helicopter pilot.<\/p>\n \u201cI think every politician going should have some military service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n California Democratic voter wants to \u2018stand up\u2019 to Trump<\/p>\n Vanessa Rosella, a 47-year-old teacher, said she focused her pick for California\u2019s next governor on the candidate she felt would best defend the state against the president.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need someone to stand up,\u201d said Rosella, who cast her ballot for Xavier Becerra.<\/p>\n She said she considered voting for Tom Steyer, but she felt the state didn\u2019t need a billionaire in charge when affordability has become such a critical issue.<\/p>\n Polls have closed in New Jersey and parts of South Dakota<\/p>\n In-person Election Day voting concluded in New Jersey at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n Comparable primaries from past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.<\/p>\n In the New Jersey<\/a> gubernatorial primaries last year, the AP first reported results at 8:03 p.m. or three minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:43 p.m. with about 93% of total votes counted.<\/p>\n Although South Dakota spans two time zones and some polls close at 8 p.m. ET, state law requires that no results are released until the final polls have closed at 9 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n Republican voter in New Mexico says GOP candidate most likely to curb violent crime<\/p>\n While a Democrat is favored to win the governor\u2019s job in New Mexico, many voters on the outskirts of Albuquerque cast ballots in the Republican primary.<\/p>\n The fire station serving Edgewood is the town\u2019s only polling place. Registered Republican A. J. Rodriguez voted for Gregg Hull, who he says is most likely to be elected, and be in a position to rein in violent crime and government spending.<\/p>\n \u201cThe state keeps voting blue, and we\u2019re getting hammered by policies that aren\u2019t working,\u201d said Rodriguez, a retired sheriff\u2019s office lieutenant. \u201cWe need someone who can actually put up a good fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Competitive US House district nudges first-time Iowa primary voter<\/p>\n Sophia Brown was voting in her first primary in part because she sees Iowa\u2019s 1st District as within reach for Democrats in November.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen the races be so close, so getting out here earlier feels like it might have an impact,\u201d said Brown, a pharmacist for University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.<\/p>\n Brown voted for Christina Bohannan, who is seeking her third chance against Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican elected in 2020 and reelected twice by narrow margins.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old resident of Coralville, just outside the University of Iowa\u2019s home in Iowa City, said she often encounters people in her work without health insurance and unable to pay for prescribed medication.<\/p>\n \u201cI see people every day who can\u2019t get discharged from the hospital with the medicine they need,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that bothers me, and we need someone who is more acutely aware of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Democrats look to Iowa to rebuild in the heartland<\/p>\n Iowa wasn\u2019t always a Republican stronghold.<\/p>\n Before Trump reshaped American politics, this was the state the lifted the political career of Barack Obama<\/a> and sent Tom Harkin to the Senate for five terms.<\/p>\n The party is particularly excited about Rob Sand<\/a>, who is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for governor. A native of Decorah, Iowa, he has the rural roots that have become rare among Democrats. Perhaps most importantly, he\u2019s a proven winner in a Republican-leaning state, having been elected twice as auditor.<\/p>\n Republicans head into the primary with five candidates. Trump jumped in last week to endorse Rep. Randy Feenstra<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is the first open contest for the governor\u2019s seat since 2006. Democrats are hoping that a combination of the economic fallout from Trump\u2019s tariff policies, rising gas prices stemming from the Iran war and the lack of a Republican incumbent could give them their best opportunity in years. Sand also has a fundraising advantage over the Republicans, including Feenstra.<\/p>\n Iowa has some of this year\u2019s most competitive House races<\/p>\n 1. In southeastern Iowa\u2019s 1st District, Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks again faces a challenge from businessman David Pautsch, who earned 44% of votes against the incumbent congresswoman in the 2024 primary. Three-time Democratic candidate Christina Bohannan, who came about 800 votes shy of unseating<\/a> Miller-Meeks in the last election, has the Democrat congressional committee\u2019s support but must first fend off her primary opponent, first-time candidate Travis Terrell.<\/p>\n 2. In northeastern Iowa\u2019s 2nd District, former state Rep. Joe Mitchell, endorsed by Trump, and state Sen. Charlie McClintock are Republicans seeking U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson\u2019s open seat. Three Democrats want the nomination: state Rep. Lindsay James, former nonprofit leader Clint Twedt-Ball and Kathy Dolter, a former dean of nursing at an Iowa community college.<\/p>\n 3. In southcentral Iowa\u2019s competitive 3rd District, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott are both unopposed on the primary ballot.<\/p>\n<\/ul>\n From \u2018The Hills\u2019 to City Hall?<\/p>\n\n