State Rep. Josh Turek won the Democratic primary for Senate in Iowa, giving Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and his allies the candidate they wanted in an uphill battle to retake the Senate.
Rep. Randy Feenstra narrowly lost in the Republican primary for governor in Iowa despite having President Donald Trump’s endorsement. And Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former health secretary, were leading in the California gubernatorial primary, which remained uncalled.
Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:
A Schumer critic loses in Iowa
Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls, a Schumer critic, in the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Iowa.
Turek will face Rep. Ashley Hinson, who won the Republican primary, in November. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) decided not to run for reelection.
Democrats have not won a Senate race in Iowa since 2008, but the party is optimistic this year in part because many voters think Trump’s trade policies have hurt the state.
Turek and Wahls both have compelling personal stories. Born with spina bifida, Turek won gold medals in the Paralympics playing wheelchair basketball. Wahls went viral at 19 when he testified before a state House committee about being raised by lesbian parents as Iowa considered banning same-sex marriage.
VoteVets, a super PAC that typically backs Democratic veterans and their families, spent more than $10 million on ads supporting Turek — far more than what the Turek or Wahls campaigns spent.
Wahls repeatedly criticized Schumer, arguing that challenging his party’s leadership would give him credibility with Republicans and independents.
Trump’s pick for Iowa governor flames out
Trump endorsed Feenstra last week in the race to succeed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) — but Feenstra lost to Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer whose slogan is “Iowa First.”
It marked a rare defeat for Trump, whose endorsement typically carries enormous weight in Republican primaries.
Trump did not endorse in the governor’s race until early voting had been underway for weeks. Lahn had already drawn the support of some conservative activists critical of Feenstra and surged in polling toward the end of the race.
Rob Sand, the Democratic state auditor, won his party’s nomination in an uncontested primary. Iowa has not elected Democratic governor in two decades, but Sand is viewed as a strong candidate in the Republican-leaning state.
Becerra, Hilton lead in California governor’s race
The race to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was rocked in April when Rep. Eric Swalwell, one of the leading Democratic candidates, was accused of sexual assault and dropped out. His exit made room for Becerra, a former congressman and state attorney general who served as President Joe Biden’s health secretary, to rise in the polls.
Becerra and Hilton were leading the wide field of candidates early Wednesday morning. Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democratic donor and former presidential candidate, trailed behind them. California is often slow to count ballots, and the results could shift as more are tallied.
The top two finishers will face off in November regardless of party in California’s system.
A strong night for former Biden Cabinet members
Becerra was not the only former Biden Cabinet member on the ballot. Deb Haaland, who served as Biden’s interior secretary, won the Democratic primary for New Mexico governor. She will face Greggory Hull, the former Rio Rancho mayor, in November but is heavily favored in the Democratic-leaning state.
Absent GOP congressman lands an opponent
Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the Democratic primary in a swing House seat in New Jersey. She will face Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has drawn attention for disappearing from public view.
Kean has not voted in Congress or appeared in public in nearly three months as he deals with what he described in April as “a personal medical issue” that he has declined to disclose. Republicans have grown increasingly worried that his absence could cost them his seat — and possibly their House majority.
“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals, I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks,” Kean said in a statement on Tuesday. “At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.”
Los Angeles mayor’s race remains uncalled
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, was facing two challengers on Tuesday: Spencer Pratt, a Republican who became famous on MTV’s reality TV show “The Hills,” and Nithya Raman, a Democratic city council member. Pratt lost his home last year in the Pacific Palisades Fire and has aggressively criticized Bass’s handling of the fire and leadership more broadly.
Bass was leading Pratt early Wednesday morning with nearly half of ballots counted, with Raman trailing in third. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, which appears unlikely, the top two finishers face off in November.
An unusual three-way Senate race in Montana
Alani Bankhead, an Air Force veteran, won the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Montana — and now the biggest question about the race is whether she will drop out.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana), who was expected to run for reelection, withdrew in March minutes before the filing deadline, denying Democrats the opportunity to recruit a well-known candidate. Kurt Alme, a former U.S. attorney, filed to run for the seat right before the filing deadline after coordinating with Daines and easily won the Republican primary on Tuesday.
Alme and Bankhead will face an independent candidate, Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana who has raised more than $2 million — far more than Bankhead. Bodnar’s strength has fueled speculation that Bankhead could drop out so Democrats could unite behind Bodnar, which she has repeatedly denied.
Natalie Allison contributed to this report.
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