Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra emerged Tuesday as the apparent finishers in California's primary for governor, positioning the nation's largest state for a rare two-party contest in November, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a runoff for a second term.
The California results led a sprawling night of primaries in six states that began to sketch the contours of the 2026 midterms. Voters in Iowa, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota also cast ballots in contests that tested President Donald Trump's grip on the Republican base and Democrats' efforts to compete in territory they have not won in years.
California's top two
Hilton, a British-born former Fox News host endorsed by Trump, led with 26.9 percent of the vote, with Becerra at 25.7 percent, according to official tallies cited by Al Jazeera with 76.1 percent of precincts partially reporting. Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer trailed at 19.8 percent. Under California's primary system, the top two finishers advance regardless of party.
Becerra, a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary under President Joe Biden, would be the first Latino elected governor of the state if he prevails in November. "While I take nothing for granted – there are lots of ballots left to be counted – it appears that we are on track to advance to November," he told supporters.
Hilton centered his campaign on housing costs, homelessness and affordability. "California, what an incredible honour. The first time I've run for office, over a million people rising, voting for me this time with a funny accent," he said.
Kimberly L. Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at Sacramento State University, said Becerra's showing suggested voters may be seeking continuity after the Newsom years.
Bass to a runoff
In Los Angeles, Bass fell short of the 51 percent threshold needed to win outright and will face a November runoff, Decision Desk HQ projected. Republican reality television personality Spencer Pratt led progressive City Council member Nithya Raman by roughly 9 percentage points for the second slot with about half the vote counted, according to The Hill. Bass, criticized over her response to the 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfires, has anchored her bid on recovery.
Iowa upset
The night's sharpest jolt came in Iowa, where businessman Zach Lahn defeated Representative Randy Feenstra in the Republican gubernatorial primary despite Feenstra's endorsement from Trump. Lahn, who backed a total abortion ban and embraced the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, will face Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand, a two-time statewide winner Democrats consider their strongest candidate in years. "Tonight is just the beginning," Lahn told supporters.
In the Senate race, state Representative Josh Turek, a former Paralympian, defeated state Senator Zach Wahls for the Democratic nomination. "The status quo is not working. We need a fighter for the people, not for billionaires, large corporations and political donors," Turek said. Representative Ashley Hinson secured the Republican nomination with endorsements from Trump and retiring Senator Joni Ernst, and enters the general election as the favorite.
New Mexico and New Jersey
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, 65, won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Mexico, defeating Albuquerque District Attorney Sam Bregman and keeping alive a bid that could make her the first Native American woman elected governor.
In New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, Democrats nominated former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett to challenge Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr., who has missed more than 100 House votes during an undisclosed medical absence. "You are failing us, and you do not deserve to represent us in Washington," Bennett said.
The Republican read
Republicans pointed to Hilton's California breakthrough as evidence that affordability arguments can travel even in Democratic strongholds, and to Lahn's win as a sign of grassroots energy independent of any single endorsement. The Iowa result, in particular, complicates a familiar narrative: Trump's backing carried Hinson and elevated Feenstra, but it did not seal the governor's race.
Whether those threads hold through November will turn on a national environment Trump is shaping in real time -- and on whether Democrats can convert Tuesday's openings into wins on terrain they have repeatedly lost.