Voters cast primary ballots in six states as major races await results

California's governor primary, crowded with about 60 to 61 candidates and no clear front-runner, was expected to produce the slowest count among Tuesday's six-state elections. Officials said the first returns in California would start coming in around 8 p.m. local time, but the volume of vote-by-mail ballots and late-counted ballots could push final answers into Wednesday and beyond; the state is not scheduled to certify results until July 10, 2026.

That slower pace does not point to a problem with election integrity. It usually means counties are processing ballots methodically, checking signatures, tabulating late arrivals and working through close races that cannot be called on election night. In California, the top-two primary system adds another layer of suspense: the two highest vote-getters advance to November, and the field is unusually large because Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

The California ballot reaches far beyond the governor's race. Voters are also weighing U.S. House contests, the Los Angeles mayor's race and other state and local offices. Among the names drawing attention are Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Antonio Villaraigosa, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton. California's congressional primaries are being held under new district boundaries approved by voters in 2025, while a separate special election in the 1st Congressional District is being run under current boundaries.

Outside California, primaries were also held in Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. Iowa's ballot included open races for governor and U.S. Senate, while New Jersey Democrats chose a House nominee to challenge Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th District. Kean has been absent from Congress for months because of an unspecified medical issue, and that absence has heightened the stakes in a district Democrats view as important in the fight for House control.

Election-watchers should expect the quickest calls in the states with less mail-ballot volume and fewer crowded statewide contests, while California is likely to remain the main holdout. A delayed call there, or in any of the six states, would say more about the mechanics of counting than the legitimacy of the vote. The results will shape November's battlegrounds for the House, the Senate and governor's offices, with California standing out as one of the most consequential tests of the 2026 midterm cycle.