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.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US