U.S. primary polls close as voters pick governors, Congress nominees

Polls closed across six states as voters in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota chose nominees in some of the biggest contests of the 2026 cycle so far. The Associated Press was tracking live results with county-level maps and race calls as attention centered on races that could shape the balance of power in Washington and set the tone for November.

California supplied the largest share of national intrigue. The state’s marquee contests included the governor’s race, U.S. House primaries and the Los Angeles mayoral race, a trio of races that offered an early read on Democratic turnout, Republican positioning in a deep-blue state and whether local contenders could break through in a crowded field. For a primary night that carried national weight, California remained the clearest test of how much energy the country’s largest state could generate heading into the fall.

Iowa’s primary landscape was reshaped by the retirements of Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst, two of the state’s most prominent Republican officeholders. Their departures created a chain reaction of open seats and competitive nomination fights down the ballot, making Iowa one of the most revealing states for gauging the health of both parties’ bench in a cycle defined by turnover. The governor’s race, the Senate contest and House primaries all carried consequences beyond the state’s borders, especially for Republicans trying to hold open seats without losing momentum.

New Jersey also loomed large as voters picked nominees for both chambers of Congress. AP said one key battleground House district could help decide control of the U.S. House, giving the state an outsized role in a year when a single seat can matter. The New Jersey Senate and House races were among the contests AP was following closely, along with California and Iowa, underscoring how much of the 2026 map remains in flux.

Across the country, the primary calendar remains enormous. AP said voters in 2026 are selecting nominees for U.S. Senate in 35 states, governor in 36 states and the U.S. House in every state. The June 2 primaries stood out as one of the biggest election days of the cycle, and the final vote totals, especially in California, Iowa and New Jersey, will help show whether the electorate is leaning into change, rewarding familiar names or signaling fatigue before the general election on November 3, 2026.