What to watch for as 7 states head to the polls
Midterm primaries are back after a brief hiatus, this time in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
California appears relatively drama-free at the moment — Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) are all expected to fare well in their respective races, notes MSNBC's Steve Benen. Meanwhile, in the state's 40th District, GOP rising star Rep. Young Kim is working to fend off a far-right challenger Greg Raths.
Over in Iowa, the Democratic Senate contest — the winner of which will take on longtime GOP lawmaker and "heavy favorite" Sen. Chuck Grassley — has been "surprisingly competitive," Benen writes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And we'll see how GOP incumbent Rep. Steve Palazzo performs out of Mississippi as he fends off six other Republican candidates looking to snag his controversy-laden seat. Elsewhere, former Secretary of the Interior and Trump administration official Ryan Zinke is running for the House in Montana's newly-formed 1st District.
In New Mexico, keep an eye on the Republican gubernatorial primary, the winner of which will take Democratic incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Meanwhile, we'll wait and see whether South Dakota's Trump-chastised Sen. John Thune (R) prevails in his primary.
And finally, in New Jersey, look out for Rob Menendez, son of Sen. Bob Menendez (D), who is running to replace the retiring Rep. Albio Sires (D) in the state's 8th District.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
