Alabama’s not the only state voting today: What to expect in elections around the nation

Voters are heading to the polls across Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, and Oklahoma today. As the nation watches these critical primary contests, the influence of former President Donald Trump remains a central narrative, while Democrats continue to navigate the internal friction between moderate and progressive wings as they prepare for November.

Testing the Power of an Endorsement

Trump’s backing is widely considered a golden ticket in Republican primaries, but this cycle is putting that influence to the ultimate test. In Georgia, healthcare mogul Rick Jackson is mounting a high-stakes challenge against Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson has poured over $100 million of his own money into the race, creating a massive spending gap that tests whether financial might can outweigh a “complete and total endorsement.” Trump reaffirmed his support for Jones just last week, citing the candidate's “Courage and Wisdom.” In their May 19 primary, Jones captured 38% of the vote, while Jackson followed with 33%.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, the gubernatorial primary features a crowded field where Trump late-entered the fray to back former state Sen. Mike Mazzei. With no clear front-runner in the mix, the race could potentially head to a runoff. These contests arrive on the heels of a setback for the former president, whose preferred candidate for Iowa governor, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, was defeated by Zach Lahn earlier this month.

A Shift in D.C. Politics

The District of Columbia is drawing national attention with its mayoral race, which serves as a testing ground for democratic socialist platforms similar to the surge seen by Zohran Mamdani in New York City. Candidate Janeese Lewis George has centered her campaign on affordability and defending “Home Rule” against federal overreach. The city’s relationship with the president remains a volatile issue following his administration’s decisions to deploy the National Guard and restructure the local federal workforce. Critics of current mayor Muriel Bowser argue she failed to sufficiently challenge those moves.

This race marks the debut of the District’s new ranked choice voting system. Because the process allows voters to rank candidates, election officials have cautioned that results may take days to finalize, a delay similar to the experience in Maine.

Georgia’s Secretary of State Runoff

The Georgia Secretary of State race features an ideological battle between Republicans Vernon Jones and Tim Fleming. The seat, previously held by Brad Raffensperger, is currently a focal point for election integrity rhetoric. Both candidates have echoed Trump’s unfounded claims regarding the 2020 election to varying degrees. Jones, a former Democrat turned Trump ally, has explicitly stated he believes there was fraud, while Fleming has argued that the state should act to ensure it becomes “impossible for the Left to cheat.”

California’s Special Election

A special primary election is underway to fill the seat vacated by Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress in April following misconduct allegations. The district’s race pits progressive state senator Aisha Wahab against centrist Bay Area Rapid Transit director Melissa Hernandez. The winner of this contest will serve out the remainder of Swalwell’s term, while both candidates are also scheduled to face off in the general election this November.