Voters head to the polls across California, Iowa and beyond on a pivotal primary election day

Los Angeles mayoral candidates Karen Bass, Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman clashed during a heated debate focused on public safety, homelessness, immigration and the city’s recovery from last year’s devastating wildfires ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

Pratt, an independent candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral election, drew attention for a series of blunt attacks against both Bass and Raman. Discussing homelessness, Pratt criticized Bass’ Inside Safe program, arguing that many participants eventually return to the streets. He also claimed that homelessness is largely driven by addiction and mocked Raman’s approach to outreach and treatment efforts.

The reality television star also targeted Bass over her handling of the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fires, accusing the mayor of ignoring requests for additional firefighting resources and criticizing decisions made by city leadership before the disaster. Pratt called the city’s wildfire response "the most dangerous thing that the mayor put us up against."

The debate also featured sharp exchanges over immigration and voting rights. When asked whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in local elections, Pratt responded with a simple "No," while Bass and Raman offered more nuanced answers.

Public safety emerged as another major dividing line. Pratt criticized Raman’s past positions on police funding and argued that Los Angeles should expand its police force to improve safety across the city.

President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., on primary day Tuesday, throwing his political weight behind a vulnerable House Republican who has been absent from Congress for months while dealing with undisclosed health issues.

Kean, who represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, is running unopposed in the Tuesday Republican primary as four Democrats battle for the chance to unseat him in November. Trump praised Kean in a Truth Social post Monday, describing him as a strong supporter of the president's “America First Agenda,” adding the New Jersey Republican is “working tirelessly” on border security, crime, the economy, taxes, energy, veterans and Second Amendment issues.

"Tom Kean has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election," Trump concluded, telling people to get out and vote.

The president's endorsement of Kean comes as the New Jersey congressman's absence from Capitol Hill has drawn growing scrutiny. Kean said in April that he was addressing a “personal medical issue” and that doctors expected him to make a full recovery, but he has not publicly disclosed the nature of the issue. Kean has not made public appearances, stepped onto the House floor or cast a vote since March 5, according to The New York Times. House voting records also listed Kean as “Not Voting” on a May 21 roll call vote.

However, ahead of his Tuesday primary, Kean put out a statement that "he's more energized than ever" while continuing to withhold details of his health issue.

"I am more energized then ever to keep fighting for the people of New Jersey's 7th District. Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks," Kean said in his statement "At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition."

Trump’s support remains one of the most powerful forces in Republican primaries, with candidates across several states openly competing for his backing ahead of key contests. His endorsement of Kean signals the White House and GOP leaders are still lining up behind the incumbent as Republicans fight to defend their narrow House majority this fall.

Reality TV star and social media personality Spencer Pratt drew sharp attention in Los Angeles’ mayoral race following a combative debate performance on May 6.

Pratt sharply criticized incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Council member Nithya Raman, two of his top rivals. He accused Bass of being an “incredible liar” and argued that city leaders have failed to adequately address homelessness, crime and government accountability.

Pratt’s campaign has gained visibility in part because he was among the thousands of Los Angeles County residents who lost their homes in last year’s devastating wildfires. He has repeatedly blamed Bass for the city’s response to the disaster and has made the issue a central theme of his campaign.

Recent campaign ads have targeted both Bass and Raman, with Pratt arguing that city leaders “don’t have to live in the mess they’ve created.” His opponents have pushed back, accusing him of using divisive rhetoric and borrowing from President Donald Trump’s political playbook.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election, the top two finishers will advance to a November runoff.

Healthcare for undocumented immigrants became a flashpoint during a recent California gubernatorial debate ahead of Tuesday's primary election.

Several Democratic candidates defended providing healthcare coverage to undocumented immigrants despite concerns about rising costs and pressure on the state's budget. Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra argued that denying preventive care would ultimately increase healthcare spending by forcing patients to seek treatment in emergency rooms.

"It would be foolish to tell a family that they don't have access to the pediatrician or the family doc," Becerra said, arguing that community-based care is less expensive than emergency treatment.

Fellow Democratic candidates Tom Steyer and Katie Porter also backed coverage for undocumented immigrants. Porter said failing to provide care can create broader public health challenges and lead to longer emergency room wait times.

Republican candidates pushed back. Steve Hilton, a candidate in Tuesday's California gubernatorial primary, said California should stop spending billions on healthcare for undocumented immigrants and focus resources on legal residents. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco similarly argued that taxpayer-funded benefits incentivize illegal immigration.

The debate also highlighted divisions over broader healthcare reforms, including single-payer healthcare proposals. While some Democrats shared support for expanding government-run healthcare, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa warned that a statewide single-payer system would be prohibitively expensive and difficult to implement.

Republicans are aiming to break longtime losing streaks as they take the first steps toward winning California elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor while voters in the Democrat-dominated state head to the polls on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's clout over the GOP will once again face a ballot-box test in a gubernatorial showdown in Iowa, while the Hawkeye State's Democratic Senate nomination is the latest battle between the party's establishment and progressive wings.

California and Iowa are two of six states holding primary contests from coast to coast during the first week of June in elections that will impact November's midterms, when the GOP's slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities will be up for grabs.

The election arguably grabbing the most headlines nationally is in Los Angeles, where it has been three decades since a Republican won a mayoral contest in the nation's second-most-populous city. Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate, is gaining traction thanks in part to his populist pitch and viral videos.

Pratt is targeting Mayor Karen Bass, a former Democratic congresswoman seeking a second four-year term leading Los Angeles, over her handling of the wildfires and homeless crisis. Bass, who has been endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator and state attorney general, as well as the state's two Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, last week landed the backing of term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In the race for governor, a whopping 61 candidates are running to succeed Newsom in leading the nation's most populous state and the world's fourth-largest economy.

But heading into the jungle primary, where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same ballot and the top two finishers advance to the general election, only a handful of contenders have a good chance of making the cut.

Among them are Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton.

This is an excerpt from an article by Paul Steinhauser