November’s rapidly approaching elections will decide which party controls Congress, as well as determining who holds consequential governorships and mayoralties. On Tuesday, the American people drew one step nearer to November’s showdown, casting their ballots in primary elections in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

President Donald Trump has exerted sweeping influence over the GOP primaries this year, with his endorsements toppling incumbent U.S. senators with decades of congressional experience — Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) or John Cornyn (R-Texas), for example — and high-profile congressmen who have weathered contentious primary challenges in the past, like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Tuesday night demonstrated that the president’s sway over the Republican Party is still strong, but not absolute: one candidate he endorsed lost his primary.

Here are the most notable results from this week’s primary races.

California

Golden State residents cast their ballots Tuesday in a contentious jungle primary to choose California’s next governor. While Democrat Xavier Becerra, the radically pro-abortion U.S. Health Secretary under former President Joe Biden, has been considered the favorite to win, he is so far stuck in second place, trailing Trump-endorsed Republican Party strategist Steve Hilton.

With roughly 60% of votes counted as of Wednesday morning, Hilton is in the lead with 27.8% (1,386,083 votes), followed by Becerra at 25.4% (1,266,483 votes). Democrat billionaire Tom Steyer (19.6% or 978,654 votes) and Republican law enforcement official Chad Bianco (11.3% or 565,655 votes) are unlikely to proceed to the final election, while former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) has been safely eliminated from the running, garnering less tan 5% of the vote. With more than 40% of the vote yet to be counted, no two candidates have formally advanced to the next round of voting.

Another California race that has captured national headlines is the primary for the Los Angeles mayoral election, where Trump-aligned Republican and former reality television star Spencer Pratt is challenging both incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D) and her openly-socialist protégé, city councilwoman Nithya Raman. Bass, who has roundly been faulted for the city’s incompetent failure to respond to the Palisades fires last year, which destroyed the homes of many Los Angeles-area residents, including Pratt, will be advancing to the final round of voting, having scored more than one third (34.8%) of the vote so far, although less than two thirds (63.1%) of the votes cast have been counted. Pratt is close behind with just over 30% of the vote, leading Raman by more than eight points.

Iowa

Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced last year that she would not seek reelection in 2026, opening the field for Republicans to fight for her soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. Armed with a Trump endorsement, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) handily won the Republican primary to succeed Ernst, and will face Democratic state senator Josh Turek in November. The GOP contest for the governor’s mansion, however, proved more surprising. Local farmer and businessman Zach Lahn won the nomination on an “Iowa First” campaign, narrowly defeating Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa). Lahn won the nomination with a lead of fewer than 1,700 votes.

New Jersey

Garden State Republicans conducted a robust primary race to settle on a challenger to face Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in November. Former deputy mayor of Tabernacle township Justin Murphy won the nomination, defeating physician Robert Lebovics, State Trooper Richard Tabor, and former journalist Alex Zdan. Despite raising more than $100,000 in campaign funding — and spending nearly $78,000 — Lebovics placed fourth in the race, securing just over 10% of the vote.

A Democratic primary to find a replacement for outgoing Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) settled on a candidate who has been linked to Islamist extremist organizations, including al-Qaeda. Adam Hamawy, born in Egypt, was endorsed by far-left Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and openly-socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

According to the New York Post, Hamawy volunteered with the Benevolence International Foundation in Bosnia, which has been linked to al-Qaeda and terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Hamawy also developed and maintained a lengthy friendship with the “Blind Sheik,” Islamic leader Omar Abdel-Rahman. When Abdel-Rahman was put on trial for conspiracy after his followers bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, Hamawy defended the Islamic leader in court, under oath. Abdel-Rahman was convicted and died in federal prison.