US primary voters choose midterm candidates as Democrats look to flip key seats

Voters in Tuesday’s primary elections across the US chose candidates who could flip critical districts in the US House and Senate in November, setting up a series of high-stakes general election contests in a midterm year expected to favor Democrats. Among the most watched races are: a New Jersey Democrat who could oust a Republican incumbent absent with a mystery medical issue for months; several Iowa Democrats hoping to flip their red-leaning state; and California’s redrawn maps that have given Democrats an advantage in the heavily blue state. Other major contests, including the California governor’s race, remained up in the air as of Tuesday night. In Los Angeles, Democratic mayor Karen Bass claimed one of two spots to advance to the November general election, while her opponents, according to the Associated Press, as her rivals remained locked in a tight battle. The results, stretching from California to New Jersey, underlined many of the forces shaping the 2026 midterms: Democrats’ desire for change in the wake of the party’s devastating losses to Donald Trump in 2024, the president’s enduring grip on Republican voters despite his falling approval ratings and voters’ sour view of the US economy. …