Here are the biggest primary races to watch on Tuesday
Races include those for Los Angeles mayor and California Governor, as well as Senate and House races in multiple states.
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Races include those for Los Angeles mayor and California Governor, as well as Senate and House races in multiple states.
Tuesday marks yet another round of primary elections taking place across the country ahead of the 2026 midterms. Here are the ones to look out for.
Los Angeles mayoral race:
The LA mayoral primary election is taking place tomorrow between incumbent LA Mayor Karen Bass, Spencer Pratt, and LA Councilwoman Nithya Raman. According to one of the latest polls from Plymouth Union Public (PUP), Research indicates a statistical tie between Pratt and Bass, with Raman lagging behind, per Townhall. Bass led Pratt in the poll, 23.5 percent to 21.2 percent, which is within the margin of error. Raman was at a distant third at 12.7 percent.
Pratt has campaigned on law and order and getting drug addicts off the streets while also taking aim at Bass for her record on the Palisade fires. Both Bass and Raman have attacked Pratt for having little political experience. Raman is flanking Bass from her left on policy and is aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. Polls will open on Tuesday, and only the top two candidates in the primary will advance to the general election.
Iowa Senate race:
In Iowa, incumbent Senator Joni Ernst is not seeking another term, and there are two Republicans and two Democrats in the running to take the position. The winners of the Tuesday primary in Iowa will advance to the general election. US Rep. Ashley Hinson has campaigned with support from Ernst and is running against former state Sen. Jim Carlin, who has talked about his legislative experience and donor independence. For the Democrats, Rep. Josh Turek is running against state Sen. Zach Wahls in the primary.
California Gubernatorial race:
A wide field of Democrats and a few Republicans are running to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom. The top contenders from each party appear to be Democrat Xavier Becerra, who served as former President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Republican Steve Hilton, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Other Democrats in the race include billionaire Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, and others. Another Republican in the race is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Montana:
In Montana, Republican Senator Steve Daines is not seeking a third term and has endorsed US Attorney Kurt Alme to replace him. Trump has also endorsed Alme. He also has endorsements from Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte. While there are other Republicans on the ballot for the primary, Alme is the only major contender.
For the Democrats, the field includes Rep. Reilly Neill running for the Senate position. She is running against four others but has five times the funding of all four rivals combined, per the AP. The primary winners will also face off against University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, who is running in the race as an independent, in the general election.
There is also a primary in the state’s first congressional district to replace Rep. Ryan Zinke.
New Jersey:
In New Jersey, US Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is running unopposed in the primary for District 7. He will face the winner of a Democrat primary in the general election.
New Mexico:
Candidates for New Mexico governor will face off in their primaries on Tuesday as Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is term-limited. Those Democrats running to replace Grisham include former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.
For the Republicans running for governor, the candidates include former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, former state cabinet secretary Duke Rodriguez, and small business owner Doug Turner.
South Dakota:
In South Dakota, a primary is being held in the gubernatorial race with four Republicans vying for the role. The competitive race includes South Dakota’s current governor Larry Rhoden, US Rep. Dusty Johnson, state House Speaker Jon Hansen, and businessman Toby Doeden. A candidate has to secure 35 percent of the vote to win the nomination outright. If there is nobody who cracks the number, the two top candidates will go to a runoff election.
Rhoden assumed the role of governor after Kristi Noem was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead DHS.
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