Here's what we covered
• Businessman Steve Hilton and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra are leading early in the primary to determine which two candidates will face off in November to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass will advance to a November election, CNN projects.
• Why California takes so long to count: The state’s size and vote-by-mail system contribute to the time it takes for election officials to tally ballots. Election officials have long emphasized that the slower counting process in the country’s most populous state doesn’t mean that anything has gone awry.
• In Iowa, state Rep. Josh Turek will win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate, CNN projects, to face US Rep. Ashley Hinson, who will win the GOP nomination. US Rep. Randy Feenstra, endorsed by President Donald Trump, conceded his bid for the GOP nomination for governor. Here are the early takeaways from the primaries in six states.
Our live coverage of Tuesday’s primaries in six states has concluded. You can learn more about what happened in the posts below.
In addition, click here for all the results and here’s our takeaways from the day’s developments.
Why the count will go on in California
California’s elections are never quite over on Election Day, and this year is no different.
The state’s big population and its universal vote-by-mail system add to the time it takes to count the large volume of ballots counties will receive.
In the 2024 general election, for instance, mail ballots accounted for a little more than 80% of the 16.1 million ballots cast that November. Typically, county election officials first process ballots received before Election Day as they roll in and post those results quickly.
It’s typical for mail ballots counted in the days after the election to skew Democratic.
And in this election, Democratic voters appeared to be returning their ballots at a slower pace than in past elections, according to data from Political Data, Inc., a Democratic-aligned data firm, suggesting that the trend could be even more pronounced.
Gubernatorial candidates have told their supporters to prepare for slow results and less-than-typical trends as the count goes on.
Tom Steyer’s campaign said a larger share of Democratic votes are expected to be counted later in the process than in previous elections. Meanwhile, the Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton said he hasn’t “seen anything” that would raise concerns about the validity of the results but criticized the slow process in California.
In an interview with CNN, Hilton called it “ridiculous” that the state has “a system where it could take days or even weeks to get election results.”
CNN’s Arlette Saenz and David Wright contributed to this report.
James Gallagher will win special election to finish late Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s term, CNN projects
James Gallagher, the California Assembly’s Republican leader, will win a special election to fill the remainder of GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s term after the longtime congressman died in January, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Though California’s 1st Congressional District was redrawn last year to favor Democrats, Tuesday’s special primary election was held under the 2024 district lines.
The two Democrats in the race — state Sen. Mike McGuire and non-profit leader Audrey Denney — failed to keep Gallagher’s vote share under 50%, allowing Gallagher to avoid an August 4 special general election.
His win comes as House Republicans are contending with a razor-thin majority that has left little room for error as they seek to enact President Donald Trump’s legislative priorities.
Gallagher, Denney and McGuire were also on the ballot for the primary election to represent the district under the new lines, starting in January 2027.
Toby Doeden will advance to runoff in South Dakota GOP gubernatorial primary, CNN projects
The South Dakota Republican gubernatorial primary will head to a runoff, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, with businessman Toby Doeden set to take one of the spots.
Incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden, who was promoted from lieutenant governor last year when Kristi Noem left to become Trump’s homeland security secretary, is seeking reelection to a full term.
But with limited time to establish himself in office, Rhoden faced several challengers for the nomination this year, including Doeden, Rep. Dusty Johnson, and state House Speaker Jon Hansen.
With no candidate projected to secure more than 35% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election set for July 28.
Becerra casts himself as Trump's foil, saying "California is bigger than Trump"
Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra told supporters that it “appears that we are on track to advance to November,” framing his gubernatorial bid as an underdog story built on his parents — “two immigrants, $12 and a dream” — who came to California as a construction worker and a clerical worker.
Becerra leaned hard into his record of fighting President Donald Trump, reminding supporters he “sued Trump more than 120 times before, and I won, and I won, and I won.”
GOP Rep. Valadao will advance to general election in California's 22nd District, CNN projects
Republican Rep. David Valadao will advance to the general election for his seat in California’s 22nd District, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Democrats have long targeted this Central Valley seat. In 2018, they succeeded: Valadao narrowly lost reelection after voting for Republicans’ unsuccessful attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But the congressman won the seat back two years later and has held onto it ever since.
While the 22nd District became more favorable for Democrats after last year’s redistricting, this is still a toss-up race. Valadao has managed to build a brand in the district since he was first elected to Congress in 2012 .
"This is obviously God's plan and I’m going to go all the way,” Pratt says of LA race
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt expressed excitement Tuesday night about a potential showdown with Mayor Karen Bass as he waits to find out whether he’ll make the fall ballot in the high-profile race.
Pratt, a former reality TV star, is contending in the primary for mayor of Los Angeles, aiming to defeat Bass, who CNN projects will advance to the non-partisan general election.
The upstart candidate addressed media outside of his election night watch party – having closed the event to the press – and expressed optimism about his path forward, with the second spot on the November ballot still up for grabs.
With just under half the vote counted, Bass led with 36.6%, while Pratt was in second place with 29.5%.
And he signaled a confrontational approach to Bass in a potential matchup. “Oh I mean, she knows it’s on. I hope she’s ready, you know. Because I literally could not be more excited,” Pratt said.
LA Mayor Karen Bass will advance to November election in reelection bid, CNN projects
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the November election as she seeks a second term, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Bass, 72, is a former state lawmaker and US congresswoman who was first elected mayor in 2022. She touted gains in affordable housing development, reducing homelessness and lower crime rates during the campaign.
Polls showed Bass locked in a tight three-way race against a field that includes former reality television star Spencer Pratt, who had cast her as an icon of failed Democratic leadership on issues like crime, homelessness and drug use, as well as city councilwoman Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist who campaigned as a more progressive alternative.
Since no candidate topped 50% of the vote share on Tuesday, the top two finishers will advance to the general election.
Steve Hilton tells supporters "change is coming to California"
Republican businessman Steve Hilton told supporters Tuesday night that “change is coming to California, and it’s long overdue,” saying “over 1 million Californians” had already put their faith in him as he hoped to advance to November’s gubernatorial election.
Hilton and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra are leading early in the primary as results continue to come in. “We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good,” Hilton said.
Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by President Donald Trump, anchored his pitch on affordability, vowing to make the state “Cal affordable” by letting workers keep “your first 100 grand tax-free,” cutting electric bills “in half,” and pushing for “$3 gas” by tapping California oil.
A former British political advisor and first-time candidate, he leaned into his backstory as “a new American citizen,” invoking Arnold Schwarzenegger, who he said once told him he had “the wrong jacket.”
Hilton said he’d pledged to earn it: “Here it is, Arnold. That was for you.”
Former Rep. Katie Porter concedes she won't make runoff for California governor
Former Rep. Katie Porter conceded tonight and won’t advance to the two-candidate runoff for California governor.
Early results show that businessman Steve Hilton and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra are the early leaders.
Labor leader Dolores Huerta says Becerra has “earned the position” of California governor
Labor rights leader Dolores Huerta showed her support for Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra during his primary election night event as California voters awaited results.
She went on to tout Becerra’s experience as a congressman and former health and human services secretary, adding that he has done “a lot of great work to challenge the Trump administration” during his time as a California attorney general.
“He’s shown that he’s a person that has given his adult life of service to the people of California, so we could say that he’s earned the position,” Huerta said.
Huerta also weighed in on fellow Democrat Tom Steyer, calling the billionaire investor a “great person” but reiterating that “at this point in time, Xavier Becerra is more qualified to be governor.”
Steyer: “We're going to give democracy a time to work"
California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer told supporters that it might be a minute to determine if he is one of the two candidates who will advance to the general election in November, with results pending in the high-profile race.
California’s vote counting is notoriously slow, owing to its size and universal vote-by-mail system.
And the crowded, competitive field contending in the non-partisan primary for the two spots on the general election ballot have splintered the electorate, injecting further uncertainty in the final matchup.
With just under half of the vote in, Steyer had about 19.6% support, trailing leading rivals, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, with about 25.8%, and Republican businessman Steve Hilton, with about 26.7%
Lahn stuns Iowa GOP establishment, saying, "Nobody thought this could be done"
Zach Lahn, a businessman who stunned the Iowa Republican establishment Tuesday night by defeating President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate for governor, pledged to stand up to special interests and disrupt the status quo in government.
In his remarks in Des Moines, Iowa, Lahn delivered a populist-themed message, not mentioning Trump or any Republican officials by name as he pledged disruption. “I will take on the big ag cartels, I will break up their monopolies and I will get Iowa farmers a fair deal,” Lahn said.
He took aim at his Democratic challenger, Rob Sand, who has campaigned as a moderate. “Rob Sand is not a moderate,” Lahn said. “He’s a liberal career politician pretending to be something he’s not.”
Republican Steve Hilton is "not taking anything for granted" in California governor's race
Republican businessman and TV host Steve Hilton said the early results were “encouraging” but that he was “not taking anything for granted” as votes were counted in California’s gubernatorial primary.
The figure Hilton is watching most closely is “the gap between me and the third place candidate, Tom Steyer,” he said while speaking to CNN’s Elex Michaelson before heading to his watch party. As long as Hilton finishes in the top two, he said, “Californians will be able to change the trajectory of our state.”
He blamed “16 years of one party rule” by Democrats for the state’s high cost of living, saying “it’s just time for some balance.”
Pressed on supporter concerns about voting integrity, and Trump’s claim that “if Jesus was counting, he would have won California,” Hilton said his campaign hadn’t “seen anything to give us that kind of concern,” but would keep an eye on it as late, more Democratic-leaning ballots are counted.
Gregg Hull will win GOP gubernatorial nomination in New Mexico, CNN projects
Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull will win the Republican nomination for New Mexico governor, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Hull sought to strike a moderate tone during the primary. He emphasized Rio Rancho’s record on public safety and focused on a message of improving education and reducing crime.
He emerges from a field that also included small business owner Doug Turner and cannabis executive Duke Rodriguez.
New Mexico voters this year are electing the successor to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited. The election comes amid an unexpected financial windfall for the state: The war in Iran has sent oil prices soaring, and New Mexico, the nation’s No. 2 oil producer behind only Texas, is raking in what’s likely to amount to hundreds of millions of unexpected dollars in taxes, royalties on oil produced on public land and more.
Democrat Scott Wiener advances to general election in race for Pelosi’s seat, CNN projects
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener will advance to the general election in the race for former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s US House seat, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
His success will likely frustrate allies of Pelosi, who endorsed San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Connie Chan over Wiener and former political staffer Saikat Chakrabarti, both of whom entered the race to represent California’s 11th District before Pelosi announced her retirement.
Wiener, who represents San Francisco in the state Senate, was first elected in 2016. In office, he’s focused on advancing progressive policies and strengthening LGBTQ rights in the state.
Though he previously said he wouldn’t challenge Pelosi, he entered the race late last year to run against Chakrabarti. “There are limits to how long you can wait,” he told CNN last November. “At some point, you need to get into the race and start making the case to the voters.”
Alani Bankhead will win Democratic Senate primary in Montana, CNN projects
Alani Bankhead will win the Democratic primary for US Senate in Montana, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Bankhead, an Air Force veteran and former federal investigator, secured the nomination in a highly unusual primary environment.
A Republican super PAC originally organized to support Sen. Tim Sheehy injected more than $1 million into the nominating contest , according to AdImpact data, in an aggressive effort to fracture the crowded Democratic field. The group ran ads attacking former state Rep. Reilly Neill as “too liberal for Montana,” and claimed Bankhead would “work with Trump” – despite Bankhead declaring at a debate in April that “I intend to impeach Trump.”
The race marks just the third time in 50 years that a Montana Senate election features no incumbent – scrambled by a calculated political maneuver from retiring GOP Sen. Steve Daines.
Daines waited until the final moments before the candidate filing deadline on March 4 to announce his decision, leaving only enough time for former federal prosecutor Kurt Alme, his handpicked ally, to enter. That effectively locked out other potential prominent contenders, such as former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who lost reelection in 2024.
Bankhead now faces a volatile three-way general election where she will also contend with independent Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president building significant grassroots momentum and leading the field in fundraising.
Karen Bass tells supporters "it's looking good so far" for her in the LA mayoral primary
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said things are “looking good so far” in the mayoral primary as she seeks to advance to the November election and be reelected to the office.
“We got a lot more to go, but so far it’s looking good,” she told supporters in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, expressing confidence that she will be able to “declare victory” in a few hours.
She spoke at her campaign’s election watch party, surrounded by her family.
Bass highlighted the issues she’s running on, such as homelessness, saying that her administration has been working on it.
Speaking on affordability, she promised that construction of 42,000 housing units will be finished over the next four years.
Bass thanked supporters for standing with her and urged them to support her for a second term.
Trump-backed Randy Feenstra will lose GOP gubernatorial primary in Iowa to Zach Lahn, CNN projects
Zach Lahn, an Iowa farmer and businessman, will win the Republican nomination for governor, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, defeating a Trump-backed challenger and defying the party establishment in the race.
Lahn, who has never held elected office, mounted an outsider campaign for the nomination, winning the support of social conservative influencers including from the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and former 4th District Rep. Steve King, whose history loomed over the contest. King was ousted from Congress in the 2020 election, following years of controversy and accusations of racism, by Rep. Randy Feenstra — one of Lahn’s top rivals who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the primary.
In a concession speech that took many of his Republican supporters by surprise, Feenstra spoke to family and friends in his hometown of Hull in northwestern Iowa on Tuesday night.
Feenstra, a devout member of the First Christian Reformed Church, asked his supporters to pray with him during his brief remarks: “Lord, I humbly ask that you continue to be with Zach Lahn as he furthers the campaign that he can glorify you in all that he does.”
Outgoing GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds’ unexpected retirement sparked a crowded succession race, with Feenstra and Lahn jumping in alongside Adam Steen, the former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, and Brad Sherman, a former one-term state representative and pastor.
Lahn now advances to a closely watched general election campaign against state auditor Rob Sand, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and has posted robust fundraising numbers while energizing his party.
Why does it take so long to count California's ballots?
California’s size and universal vote-by-mail system contribute to the time it takes for election officials to receive, verify and tally ballots.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day but can be received at local election offices until seven days after the election. Once received, election workers then must verify the voters’ identities by comparing the signatures on the mail-ballot return envelopes to those on file with election offices.
Under state law, election officials also must contact voters who didn’t sign the envelopes or whose signatures don’t match to give them a chance to fix any problems so their votes can be counted.
Election officials have long emphasized that the slower counting process in the country’s most populous state doesn’t mean that anything has gone awry or that fraud has occurred.
