The November race to determine California’s next governor will pit a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies against a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course. Democrat Xavier Becerra is a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary. He says he is prepared to take on big challenges, including fights with President Donald Trump. Republican Steve Hilton is a conservative commentator backed by Trump. Hilton says he would bring much-needed change after more than 15 years of Democratic governance.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff for the Republican nomination for S…

Graham Platner has won the Maine Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner is an oyster farmer and former chair of the planning board in the small town of Sullivan, has little political experience. But he has drawn hundreds of people to rallies around the state. He also has faced a series of controversies that have been the focus of GOP attacks. Democrats see Maine as a top opportunity to flip a GOP-held seat. It is the only state with a competitive Senate race where voters supported Democrat Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in 2024. Collins is the only Republican senator from New England.

Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota headed to the polls for another day of primary elections in America, but much of the political world was focused on Maine’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest. The results aren’t in question. Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faces serious opposition for their party’s nomination. Elsewhere, President Donald Trump’s clout within his party was being tested anew in states like South Carolina and Nevada, where he’s endorsed his favored candidates. Democrats hope to build momentum in Nevada in their broader push to reclaim key governor’s seats.

California’s most prominent congressional elections for this fall’s midterms are now set, with two districts in particular ready to test Democrats’ redrawn U.S. House map. In the Central Valley, the state’s agricultural center, Democrat Randy Villegas will challenge Republican Rep. David Valadao, who is considered one of the most endangered Republicans this fall. In a Sacramento-area seat, former Democratic state lawmaker Richard Pan will face Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP and became an independent to run in a newly drawn district. In other races set Tuesday, two Democrats will face off for a seat representing Sacramento while two Republicans will challenge each other in a Southern California district.