Joe Gruters Backs six contests in Republican 2026 Primary Election Updates
Republican 2026 primary election updates center on six state contests the Republican National Committee is watching for signs of momentum in 2026. Voters cast ballots Tuesday in California, Iowa and other states, with races that could shape contests for Congress, governorships and local power.
Joe Gruters, the RNC chairman, said the party’s election integrity operation had staff on the ground watching every legal ballot cast. He also said the RNC shared an election integrity whistleblower form from California Project the Vote.
California primary contests
In California, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco are facing Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter in the governor’s race. Spencer Pratt is running as an independent with Republican support and a Trump endorsement in the Los Angeles mayor race against incumbent Democrat Karen Bass.
Gruters used a statement to Digital to attack the state’s election system, saying, “California continues to be the model of how not to run elections.” He added, “Its dumpster-fire system is exactly why the RNC is waging our most aggressive election integrity operation to date, with more than 150 lawsuits in 34 states.”
Iowa and New Mexico races
In Iowa, Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra is being watched as a measure of Trump’s hold over Republican primary voters in the governor race. Trump-backed Rep. Ashley Hinson is running to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Joni Ernst, while Democrats are hoping to flip that seat with state Rep. Josh Turek or state Sen. Zach Wahls.
New Mexico adds another layer. Deb Haaland is facing Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in a contest that could shape the next phase of Democrat politics there, while Gregg Hull, Duke Rodriguez and Doug Turner are competing in a three-way race for governor. Ben Ray Luján is running for another term and faces a Democratic primary challenge from Matt Dodson.
Larry Marker ballot threshold
For Republicans, the tightest arithmetic in the field belongs to Larry Marker. The certified write-in candidate for the party’s Senate nomination in New Mexico must receive 2,351 votes to become the GOP nominee, and if he falls short, no Republican Senate candidate will appear on the general election ballot.
The RNC’s focus on the six primaries gives it an early read on whether Republican-backed candidates can turn endorsements and organized turnout into November strength. In New Mexico, the write-in threshold makes the margin itself the story; in Iowa and California, the result will show whether the party’s preferred candidates can carry that support into general-election races.
