LOS ANGELES – A seven-state primary on Tuesday will set the stage for U.S. and Senate nominations this fall, with many powers marked by the political fissures of the two main parties and the lingering shadow of the United States. former President Donald Trump.
With control of Congress at stake, a number of Republican House incumbents are facing challenges from the political right, and some rivals are accepting Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud in his 2020 defeat to President Joe Biden.
No incumbent governor or senator appears to be in imminent danger. In Iowa, several Democrats are fighting for the opportunity to take on seven-term Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, with the campaign showing the gap between progressive wings and the establishment of the Democratic Party.
Former Trump cabinet member Ryan Zinke is seeking a GOP nomination in a newly created House district in Montana.
What to see in Tuesday’s primaries in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota:
CALIFORNIA
California is a Democratic stronghold where the party holds all statewide seats and its voters outnumber Republicans by almost 2 to 1. Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla face contestants little known.
But Republicans retain power bags in some districts of the U.S. House that are expected to be one of the most competitive races in the country.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, speaks with Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.AP
In a heavily Democratic district in the agricultural belt of the state’s central valley, U.S. Republican Rep. David Valadao is seeing a rejection of his vote to oust Trump over the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurgency. Republican Chris Mathys has made Valadao’s vote a central part of his campaign to oust him.
In a Democratic-leaning district north of Los Angeles, several Democrats are expected to face Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, who is expected to advance in November with one of the Democrats as the top two finishers in the race. Garcia rejected Arizona and Pennsylvania election votes in favor of Biden and opposed Trump’s impeachment after the Capitol uprising.
California Republican Rep. Mike Garcia rejected Arizona and Pennsylvania election votes in favor of Biden and opposed Trump’s ouster following the Capitol uprising.
The busy career of the mayor of Los Angeles seems to be a fight between Rick Caruso, a Republican billionaire turned Democrat in favor of companies who is part of the board of the Presidential Foundation Ronald Reagan, and the American Democratic deputy Karen Bass , who was in charge. Biden’s shortlist for vice president. If no candidate exceeds 50%, the top two finishers advance to the second round in November.
In other closely watched elections, San Francisco voters are considering whether to fire District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a progressive Democrat who, according to critics, has been unable to prosecute the recidivists amid widespread frustration. for crime and homelessness.
Businessman Rick Caruso greets at the start of a mayoral debate at the Student Union Theater at California State University, Los Angeles campus. AP MP Karen Bass speaks during a mayoral debate at the California State University Student Union Theater, Los Angeles campus .AP
IOWA
Republicans have gained an edge in the state over the past decade, and Democratic Senate primaries offer a snapshot of the minority party’s battle for relevance.
Retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken is holding a competitive contest with former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer to try to face Grassley, 88, who has received Trump’s support.
Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer is running against two Democratic Senate nominees to face Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Finkenauer is a 33-year-old former two-year state representative who argues that her youth and more recent experience in Iowa make her better suited to challenge a Republican who was first elected to the Senate in 1980. She has made tenure a central part of your campaign.
Franken, 64, is promoting a progressive agenda, including the addition of a public insurance option to the Affordable Care Act. He is from the Conservative West of Iowa and argues that he could be more competitive against Grassley by entering the Senator’s margins in heavily Republican areas.
Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, received support from former President Donald Trump.AP
Dr. Glenn Hurst, a small town councilor in western Iowa and chairman of the Democratic Party of Iowa for his rural caucus, is heading to the left of Finkenauer and Franken.
Meanwhile, three Republicans are vying for a chance to run against the only Democratic member of the Iowa Congress, Cindy Axne.
MISSISSIPPI
U.S. Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo faces his biggest challenger camp after a congressional ethics oversight body raised questions about his campaign spending.
A 2021 report from the Congressional Ethics Office found “substantial reason to believe” Palazzo, a military veteran on the National Appropriation and Security Committees, abused his position by wasting campaign funds. doing favors to his brother and recruiting staff for policies and policies. personal assignments. Her then-spokeswoman, Colleen Kennedy, said the investigation was based on “false allegations” for political reasons.
Mississippi State Senator Brice Wiggins is running in a primary against incumbent Steven Palazzo.AP
His six opponents include a sheriff, Mike Ezell, and a state senator, Brice Wiggins. If no candidate gets the majority of votes, the second round will be on June 28.
Mississippi’s other two Republican congressmen, Trent Kelly and Michael Guest, are facing major rivals who support Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
MONTANA
This is the first time since 1993 that the state will have two seats in the House, after one has been added to accommodate Montana’s growing population.
Zinke, the former secretary of the Trump Department of the Interior, is technically in an open race for the new seat. But the former Navy SEAL is widely considered the de facto incumbent, having twice won elections for the other seat in the state House before resigning in 2017 to join the Trump administration. .
Opponents draw attention to the issue of Zinke’s tenure in the agency, which was marked by multiple ethical investigations. An investigation determined that Zinke lied to an agency ethics officer about his continued involvement in a commercial real estate deal in his hometown. He has faced a campaign to discredit his military service from the far right of his party and questions about his residence following revelations that his wife declared a home in California as his primary residence.
Opponents of the Republican primary include former state senator Al “Doc” Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and a hardline conservative who has tried to paint Zinke as a “liberal insider.”
Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination: public health advocate Cora Neumann, Olympic rower and lawyer Monica Tranel, and former state MP Tom Winter.
In the other district of the state, first-round MP Matt Rosendale, who has Trump’s endorsement, will seek to defend himself against three rivals in the Republican primary.
Montana House nominee and former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke speaks on stage at a Butte-Silver Bow County Republican event in Butte, Montana.AP
NEW JERSEY
A dozen House districts are on the ballot.
Trump said in 2021 that he would support a challenger from Republican Rep. Chris Smith, but that never happened. The absence of a endorsement has not stopped conservative talk show host Mike Crispi, one of Smith’s Republican rivals, from claiming Trump’s mantle.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), in the center, walks with his son, Rob, who is running for a vacant House seat.AP
In North New Jersey, former State Senate minority leader Tom Kean Jr. has a fundraising advantage and establishment support over five rivals. Kean, the son of former Republican Gov. Tom Kean Sr., is awaiting a reshuffle with Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, who won a tight contest two years ago.
On the Democratic side, the son of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Rob, is running for a seat that has left vacant Democratic Rep. Albio Sires. Menendez, a New York and New Jersey Port Authority commissioner, closed out party support as he entered the race.
NEW MEXICO
Five Republican candidates are vying to face Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The incumbent is favored to keep her job in a state where Democrats control all statewide offices and dominate the Legislature.
Former television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti and State Rep. Rebecca Dow are prominent GOP candidates in a contest that addresses concerns about U.S. border security, urban crime, inflation, and the teaching of race and ethnicity in a strongly Latin and Native American state.
Five Republicans compete in primary to challenge New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.AP
Democratic voters are deciding on a candidate for the top state police office to succeed Attorney General Hector Balderas. Albuquerque District Attorney Raúl Torrez is competing against state auditor Brian Colón in a hard-fought campaign with few ideological divisions.
DAKOTA DEL SUD
A trio of Republican headlines face major rivals running for their political right.
Gov. Kristi Noem, who is considered a potential White House candidate, is favored to win the GOP nomination. A rival, state lawmaker Steve Haugaard, has argued that Noem spent more time trying to build a national political profile than focusing on his work at home. She has mostly ignored him.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is favored to win the nomination. AP Sen. John Thune, RS.D., faces …