The Votes Are In

Our previous coverage previewed June 2 as a critical primary day across California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Polls have now closed and nominees are set.

Iowa: Hinson Advances, Senate Race Takes Shape

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson won her Senate primary in Iowa, according to The Hill's live results tracker. She moves on to compete for the seat being vacated by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R). The Democratic primary also concluded, setting up a genuinely competitive open-seat Senate race in November — a rare situation in Iowa.

Hinson's exit from the House opens Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. Rep. Randy Feenstra also vacated his 4th District seat to run for governor. According to The Hill, both open House seats drew competitive Republican primary fields.

South Dakota: Rhoden Survives a Scare

Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) faced a genuinely tough primary in his bid to keep the governorship he inherited when Kristi Noem left for DHS, according to The Hill. Rhoden is South Dakota's first elected governor in his own right since Noem, and the competitive primary signals base voters aren't simply rubber-stamping the incumbent.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R) was running for a third term and expected to advance, per The Hill. His Democratic opponent is former Rep. Dusty Johnson's colleague in the state's political infrastructure — except Johnson himself opted to run for governor, vacating the lone House seat. That seat is solid Republican territory but drew a primary contest.

Montana: The Open Senate Seat Democrats Are Eyeing

The Montana Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Steve Daines (R) produced former U.S. District Attorney Kurt Alme as the Republican frontrunner, according to The Hill. Democrats see this as an opportunity — but Montana is a state that keeps proving Democrats wrong when they get excited about it.

The 1st Congressional District is also open, with Rep. Ryan Zinke (R) retiring. The Hill reports Democrats view that seat as a pickup opportunity. Montana has two federal seats in play, punching above its weight as a November battleground.

California: Governor's Race Top Two Set

California's top-two primary system means the two highest vote-getters — regardless of party — advance to November. The gubernatorial race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom drew a crowded field, per The Hill. The key question is whether any Republican cracked the top two, or whether November becomes a Democrat-vs.-Democrat race with no Republican opposition.

Nancy Pelosi's former 12th Congressional District is also open, per The Hill. Six open House seats across California's 52 districts means significant candidate reshuffling heading into November.

New Mexico: Haaland vs. Bregman on the Democratic Side

Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland led district attorney Sam Bregman in the Democratic gubernatorial primary to succeed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, according to The Hill. No Republican filed to challenge Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D) — meaning Luján returns to the Senate essentially uncontested. Republicans failed to recruit in New Mexico.

All three Democratic House incumbents — Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vazquez, and Teresa Leger Fernández — sought reelection. The primary decided which Republicans they'll face.

New Jersey: Booker Learns His Opponent

Sen. Cory Booker (D) got his Republican opponent out of a multi-candidate GOP primary, according to The Hill. Booker isn't considered vulnerable in deep-blue New Jersey, but the state's political environment has shifted enough that national Republicans keep putting resources in.

New Jersey's 12th Congressional District is an open seat following Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman's (D) retirement, per The Hill. Open seats in a midterm year with a Republican president are always volatile.

The Blanche Testimony

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a House panel the same day these primaries were held, telling members the White House will NOT seek to revive its proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" compensation fund, according to The Hill. That fund faced fierce congressional opposition and is now dead.

The policy retreat occurred on primary day, with the story largely overshadowed by election results.

What Comes Next

According to 270toWin's primary calendar, November 3 is the general election date. The next wave of primaries hits June 9 — Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina. The primary season is far from over.

Senate seats in Iowa and Montana are emerging as genuine toss-ups. California's one-party primary system locked out half the electorate from the general election. South Dakota's Republican establishment had to actually work to hold the governorship. And a $1.8 billion spending proposal died quietly while voters watched primary results.