US Midterm Primary Season Opens: California Gubernatorial Race in Spotlight

Primary elections across five US states on June 2, 2026 signaled the formal start of the midterm campaign season, with the race for California's governorship emerging as the most nationally watched contest of the day.

Republican businessman and television host Steve Hilton expressed optimism after early results came in, describing the figures as "encouraging." He faces Democratic heavyweights Xavier Becerra, the former US Secretary of Health and Human Services, and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer in what analysts expect to be a competitive general election.

In Iowa, Democratic state representative Josh Turek secured his party's Senate nomination, defeating state Senator Zach Wahls. Turek will now face Republican Representative Ashley Hinson in a race that could decide the balance of the Senate in November. The Iowa seat is being vacated by retiring GOP Senator Joni Ernst.

In New Jersey, former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett won a crowded Democratic primary for a battleground congressional district, setting up a closely contested general election race.

On the legislative front, Senate Republican leaders continued to push for a floor vote on President Trump's $70 billion immigration enforcement bill, while the House passed a measure that would limit US involvement in any Iran conflict — a rebuke to the administration that underscored growing congressional anxiety over the escalating Middle East situation.

Meanwhile, former national security adviser John Bolton agreed to plead guilty to charges of retaining classified information, a development that drew significant attention given Bolton's prominent role in multiple administrations.