Calif. U.S. House races could shape future of Congress
LOS ANGELES — U.S. House battles took shape in heavily Democratic California that could tip the balance of power in Congress, while former Trump administration Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was in a tight match to claim the Republican nomination for a new House seat in Montana.
In Mississippi, two Republican congressmen were forced into runoffs to keep their seats. Rep. Steven Palazzo had been dogged by ethics questions over his campaign spending, while Rep. Michael Guest faced a challenger who criticized his vote on a proposal to create an outside commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Primary elections across seven states Tuesday set up November contests in dozens of races, as Democrats look to protect the party’s fragile majority in the House.
In a diverse district anchored in California’s Orange County, Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, will face Democrat Jay Chen. The district is widely considered a toss-up.
In other districts in the nation’s most populous state, two Republican House members were trying to surmount challenges tied to former President Donald Trump: One voted to support Mr. Trump’s impeachment after the U.S. Capitol insurrection, while the other fought against it.
A look at results in key U.S. House races Tuesday:
• In 2020, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia won a narrow victory in a Democraticleaning district north of Los Angeles. The former Navy fighter pilot was endorsed by Mr. Trump that year, then joined House Republicans who rejected electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Mr. Trump’s impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. That record will be a focus for Democrat Christy Smith, who earned a chance for a rematch with Mr. Garcia, after losing two years ago.
In a Democratic-tilting district in the state’s Central Valley farm belt, Republican Rep. David Valadao is highlighting an independent streak while contending with GOP fallout for his vote to impeach Mr. Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection. Early returns showed him holding an edge over Republican Chris Mathys, who made Mr. Valadao’s vote a centerpiece in his campaign to oust him. The winner will face Democrat Rudy Salas, a state legislator.
California uses a top-two election format in which only the two leading votegetters advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
In the Central Valley, Republican Connie Conway won a special election to complete the term of former Rep. Devin Nunes, who resigned to head Mr. Trump’s media company.
• A pair of GOP congressmen in Mississippi are headed to June 28 runoffs.
U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, first elected in 2010, will face Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell after failing to win the GOP nomination outright on Tuesday, earning less than 50% of the vote.
A 2021 report by the Office of Congressional Ethics found “substantial reason to believe” Mr. Palazzo, a military veteran who serves on the Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, abused his office by misspending campaign funds, doing favors for his brother and enlisting staff for political and personal errands. His then-spokesperson, Colleen Kennedy, said the probe was based on politically motivated “false allegations.”
In another Mississippi district, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest will face former Navy pilot Michael Cassidy in a district that cuts through parts of central Mississippi.
• Montana gained a second congressional district this year thanks to its growing population, and Mr. Zinke, an Interior Department secretary under Mr. Trump, is one of five Republicans on the primary ballot for the open seat.
Mr. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and former Montana congressman, was in a tight race Wednesday against former state Sen. Al “Doc” Olszewski, an orthopedic surgeon and hard-line conservative who has tried to paint Mr. Zinke as a “liberal insider.” The results of the race were being delayed because of ballot printing errors that forced officials in one county to count votes by hand.
The winner will face Olympic rower and attorney Monica Tranel, a Democrat, in the general election.
• A Republican state senator has captured the slot to take on Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne this fall in a newly drawn Iowa district that appears more favorable for the GOP. Ms. Axne is the only Democrat in Iowa’s House delegation.
State Sen. Zach Nunn easily outdistanced rivals Nicole Hasso, a financial services worker, and Gary Leffler, who works in the construction industry, to claim the GOP spot. Mr. Nunn, an Air Force pilot who has served in the Legislature since 2014 and has worked to cut taxes, was the best known among the GOP contenders.
• In what could be New Jersey’s most closely watched contest in the fall, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and Republican Tom Kean Jr. won their primaries, setting up a rematch of their closely contested 2020 race.
Mr. Malinowski, a State Department official in the Obama administration, is seeking a third term as his party faces headwinds heading into the general election. His district added more Republican-leaning towns during redistricting, making his re-election bid potentially more difficult.
• Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, of South Dakota, defeated state lawmaker Taffy Howard and is set for re-election in November because no other candidate has entered the race.