{"id":2568,"date":"2026-06-03T09:34:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=2568"},"modified":"2026-06-03T09:34:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:34:22","slug":"seven-takeaways-from-a-big-primary-night-in-iowa-california-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=2568","title":{"rendered":"Seven takeaways from a big primary night in Iowa, California and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Iowa, Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination for Senate, while Trump-endorsed Randy Feenstra conceded defeat in the GOP governor\u2019s primary. Major races in California were uncalled.<\/strong><\/p>

Read more Colombia\u2019s soccer jersey isn\u2019t just about sports. It\u2019s become a symbol of political division<\/a><\/p>\n

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A voter fills out his ballot at a polling precinct in Sacramento on Tuesday. (Rich Pedroncelli\/AP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Rep. Randy Feenstra narrowly lost in the Republican primary for governor in Iowa despite having <\/b>President Donald Trump\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday\u2019s primaries:<\/p>\n

Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls, a Schumer critic, in the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Iowa.<\/p>\n

Turek will face Rep. Ashley Hinson, who won the Republican primary, in November. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) decided not to run for reelection.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s trade policies have hurt the state.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

VoteVets, a super PAC that typically backs Democratic veterans and their families, spent more than $10 million on ads supporting Turek<\/a> \u2014 far more than what the Turek or Wahls campaigns spent.<\/p>\n

Wahls repeatedly criticized Schumer, arguing that challenging his party\u2019s leadership would give him credibility with Republicans and independents.<\/p>\n

Trump endorsed Feenstra last week in the race to succeed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) \u2014 but Feenstra lost to Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer whose slogan is \u201cIowa First.\u201d<\/p>\n

It marked a rare defeat for Trump, whose endorsement typically carries enormous weight in Republican primaries.<\/p>\n

Trump did not endorse in the governor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Rob Sand, the Democratic state auditor, won his party\u2019s 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.<\/p>

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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 <\/b>who served as President Joe Biden\u2019s health secretary, to rise in the polls.<\/p>\n

Becerra and Hilton were leading the wide field of candidates early Wednesday morning. Tom Steyer, a billionaire <\/b>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.<\/p>\n

The top two finishers will face off in November regardless of party in California\u2019s system.<\/p>\n

Becerra was not the only former Biden Cabinet member on the ballot. Deb Haaland<\/a>, who served as Biden\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Kean has not voted in Congress or appeared in public in nearly three months as he deals with what he described in April as \u201ca personal medical issue\u201d that he has declined to disclose. Republicans have grown increasingly worried<\/a> that his absence could cost them his seat \u2014 and possibly their House majority.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight 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,\u201d Kean said in a statement on Tuesday<\/a>. \u201cAt that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, was facing two challengers on Tuesday: Spencer Pratt<\/a>, a Republican who became famous on MTV\u2019s reality TV show \u201cThe Hills,\u201d and Nithya Raman, a Democratic city council member. Pratt lost his home last year in the Pacific Palisades Fire and has aggressively criticized Bass\u2019s handling of the fire and leadership more broadly.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Alani Bankhead, an Air Force veteran, won the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Montana \u2014 and now the biggest question about the race is whether she will drop out.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Alme and Bankhead will face an independent candidate, Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana who has raised more than $2 million \u2014 far more than Bankhead. Bodnar\u2019s strength has fueled speculation that Bankhead could drop out so Democrats could unite behind Bodnar, which she has repeatedly denied.<\/p>

Read more Charles Leclerc signs new multiyear deal with Ferrari in F1<\/a><\/p>\n

Natalie Allison contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Iowa, Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination for Senate, defeating a rival who had criticized party leaders. 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