Democrats test strength in key primaries across six states Tuesday

Democrats used a busy primary day across six states to take the party’s temperature heading into November, with California and Iowa offering the clearest signs of where Democratic energy sits and which coalitions still matter. Voters cast ballots in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, with closely watched contests that will help define the party’s nominee slate, the shape of its congressional map and the early terrain in the fight for Senate and House control.

California drew the most attention because its top-two primary system sends the two highest vote-getters to November regardless of party, forcing Democrats to balance unity against a crowded field. The party had worried that a split vote could leave it without a general-election contender in key races, but that fear eased as the contest settled. Democrats were also trying to lock in nominees in five newly Democratic-leaning congressional districts after redistricting, a test of whether the state’s two-decade run of statewide Democratic dominance still reflects durable voter support.

The governor’s race, aimed at replacing term-limited Gavin Newsom, had less marquee power than California usually delivers. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla passed on running, and the field narrowed further after former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out following sexual misconduct accusations. That left Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer as the best-known Democratic contenders, while Republican Steve Hilton ran with Donald Trump’s endorsement. The outcome mattered beyond personality politics: California’s largest statewide race has become a broad gauge of how voters in a Democratic stronghold are feeling about the party’s governing brand.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also faced reelection pressure in a city still scarred by the most destructive wildfire in its history. Her low approval ratings and criticism over homelessness, street conditions and the cost of living made her race another measure of whether Democratic incumbents can still defend the party’s record on day-to-day governance as well as on ideology.

Iowa gave Democrats a different test, one rooted in geography and party identity. The state’s open governor’s contest and U.S. Senate race offered a rare chance for Democrats to regain ground in rural territory that has repeatedly eluded them, even as Republicans’ Joni Ernst prepared for a November fight that could help decide Senate control. Democrats need to net four seats to win the majority, and expensive Senate races are already shaping up across the map.

Beyond those marquee contests, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota added more evidence of how Democrats and Republicans are positioning for a November that will hinge on turnout, message discipline and the durability of incumbents under pressure.