Trump Backing Fails to Lock South Carolina GOP Primary

California voters delivered a mixed verdict in Tuesday's gubernatorial primary, with establishment Democrat Xavier Becerra emerging as the top vote-getter in a race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. The former attorney general and Biden health secretary will face a November matchup against Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, after billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer fell short in the scramble for the second spot. The outcome underscored the resilience of mainstream Democrats even as progressive challengers and dissatisfaction with state leadership tested the party's brand in its biggest stronghold.

Polls had shown the contest narrowing to Becerra, Steyer and Hilton in the final weeks, a departure from California's typical star-driven races. A mid-April scandal had scrambled the field and left many voters holding ballots until the end. Becerra's lead positions him to carry forward Democratic resistance to President Donald Trump on issues from redistricting to immigration enforcement. The next governor will also confront entrenched problems including homelessness, wildfires and housing costs that have long plagued the state.

In New Mexico, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland secured the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating Albuquerque prosecutor Sam Bregman. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and the first Native American to serve in a presidential Cabinet, is now favored to become the first Native American woman elected governor in November. The race highlights how the state has used its oil and gas wealth to fund expansive social programs, including universal child care, free college and expanded health coverage. Those initiatives will fall to the next governor to manage as term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham departs.

South Carolina Republicans offered a contrasting picture of internal divisions. Rep. Nancy Mace, who has clashed with Trump over her push to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, told interviewers that the president's endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette produced only a modest bump and left the race headed for a runoff. Mace described the contest as a "dog fight" and said grassroots conservatives remained upset by the endorsement decision. The episode illustrated limits to Trump's sway even in reliably Republican territory.

Across these contests, the results showed establishment figures holding their own despite polling that reflects voter frustration with the status quo. In California, centrist candidates like Becerra survived challenges from the left, while progressives pointed to pockets of support for bolder change. Haaland's victory reinforced Democratic strength in the Mountain West. The November generals will test whether these nominees can translate primary survival into victories against Republican opponents in a political environment still shaped by Trump's presence.