How to follow Tuesday’s primary election

By Rachel Janfaza, Ethan Cohen and Melissa Holzberg DePalo, CNN

It’s election day in New Jersey, Mississippi, South Dakota, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana and California.

A number of House primary races have captured national attention, especially in California, where redistricting after the 2020 census shook up the traditional political playing field. A former Trump administration Cabinet member is running for a new House seat in Montana, there’s a high-profile Democratic Senate primary in Iowa, and incumbent governors in California, Iowa, New Mexico and South Dakota are up for reelection.

Here’s everything you need to know:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, less than a year after beating back an attempt to recall him, is seeking a second term. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, whom Newsom appointed to now-Vice President Kamala Harris’ seat last year, is running for a full term as well as in a special election for the remainder of Harris’ term. Beyond House primary races, there is a special general election to replace former GOP Rep. Devin Nunes in California’s 22nd Congressional District. Under the state’s primary system, all candidates run on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

In Los Angeles, developer Rick Caruso has emerged as a top contender to US Rep. Karen Bass in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti. LA City Council Member Kevin de Leon is also running. If no one takes a majority Tuesday, the top two candidates will advance to a November runoff. In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin is facing a recall election. If a majority of voters support the recall, San Francisco Mayor London Breed would appoint an interim district attorney.

In Iowa, former US Rep. Abby Finkenauer faces retired Navy Vice Adm. Mike Franken and Minden City Council Member Glenn Hurst in the Democratic primary to take on Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in November. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Democrat Deidre DeJear, who ran for Iowa secretary of state in 2018, are running unopposed in their gubernatorial primaries. And three of the state’s four US House members face competitive races this fall.

Montana is hosting two US House races for the first time in decades after the state gained a second seat in reapportionment following the 2020 census. Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who was Montana’s member at-large before joining the Trump administration, is running for the new 1st District.

In Mississippi, Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo, who is under a congressional ethics investigation, faces a competitive GOP primary.

In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski is vulnerable in the 7th Congressional District after his seat became more Republican in redistricting. And Rob Menendez, a Port Authority commissioner and the son of Sen. Bob Menendez, is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Albio Sires in the 8th District.

In New Mexico, five Republicans are vying for the chance to face Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in the fall. Two Democrats are challenging GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which became more Democratic in redistricting.

And in South Dakota, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, a potential 2024 presidential contender, is running for reelection in the reliably red state. She faces a primary challenge from state Rep. Steven Haugaard, a former state House speaker.

How to follow CNN’s election coverage

You can follow along with results on CNN.com and with our live updates. CNN’s decision desk will be monitoring results and will make projections accordingly.

What time do polls close?

In Mississippi, polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Mail ballots postmarked by June 7 can be received by June 14.

In New Jersey, polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Mail ballots postmarked by June 7 can be received by June 13.

In New Mexico, polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be received by poll close on election day.

In Iowa, polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be received by poll close on election day.

In South Dakota, polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be received by poll close on election day.

In Montana, polls close at 10 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be received by poll close on election day.

In California, polls close at 11 p.m. ET. All registered voters are sent a mail-in ballot that they can mail back or return in person or by drop box. Ballots must be postmarked on or before election day but received by June 14. Voters can return ballots in person or at a ballot drop box by 11 p.m. ET on election day.

Election Resources

CNN has numerous election-related resources available to readers.

• 8 things to watch in Tuesday’s primaries: Seven states are voting Tuesday: California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
• A guide to California’s competitive House races: Tuesday’s primaries in the Golden State will serve as an early test of strength for both parties as the GOP seeks a net gain of five seats to win the House majority.
• Here are the key House primaries to watch beyond California: There are competitive races in Iowa, New Jersey and New Mexico, among others, that could be crucial to determining control of the House this fall.
• He was sued by Trump in 2020. Now he’s running to be Iowa’s next secretary of state: Joel Miller is one of two Iowa Democrats running to unseat incumbent Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate.
• California is about to experience a political earthquake. Here’s why: Elections Tuesday in San Francisco and Los Angeles are linked by a widespread sense among voters in both cities that local government is failing at its most basic responsibility: to ensure public safety and order.
• Billionaire mayoral candidate Rick Caruso casts himself as LA’s fixer amid unease about homelessness and crime: Rick Caruso — the Republican shopping mall magnate turned Democratic candidate for Los Angeles mayor — has been traveling the city, fielding the frustrations of LA business owners as they deal with the city’s rise in crime and its staggering homelessness crisis, with more than 41,000 people living on the streets.
• High gas prices complicate Democrats’ hopes of picking up US House seats in California: As the Golden State contends with the highest gas prices in the nation ahead of Tuesday’s primaries, the financial pain felt by families is overshadowing every other issue.
• 20 state and local races to watch this year: Races at the state and local level will have consequences that extend far beyond this year. New state laws targeting abortion, guns and voting rights, among other issues, have put a spotlight on the state and local officials responsible for signing or enforcing those measures.
• Republicans are confident about capturing well-educated suburbs in the 2022 midterms. But these issues could change that: Momentous and tragic events are driving public attention back toward abortion rights and gun control, two issues that keyed the Democratic advance in well-educated suburbs over the past generation.

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