GOP Digest — June 3, 2026 | Hinson, Alme Win Primaries; Hilton Leads California as House Punts Iran Vote Again

Hinson and Alme Sweep Iowa and Montana Senate Nominations:

Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa won the Republican Senate primary by more than 50 percentage points over former state Sen. Jim Carlin, securing the GOP nomination to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst in a race that was never close. In Montana, Trump-backed former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme cruised to a commanding win — capturing roughly 77% of the counted vote — for the open Senate seat created by Steve Daines' surprise retirement. Both nominees advance to November as strong favorites in reliably Republican states.

Hilton and Becerra on Track to Advance in Nation's Biggest Jungle Primary:

In California's all-party primary, Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton led Democrat Xavier Becerra 27% to 25%, with Democrat Tom Steyer in third at 20% and Republican Chad Bianco at 11% as vote counting continued Wednesday. Under California's top-two system, Hilton and Becerra appear on course to advance to the November general election — denying Democrats their preferred all-Democrat matchup to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Mail-in ballots postmarked June 2 can be counted through June 9. IRAN / WAR POWERS — House Cancels War Powers Vote for Third Time, Protecting Trump's Military Campaign: House GOP leaders pulled the floor vote on H.Con.Res. 38 — the Democratic resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran — for the third time on Tuesday, yanking it from the schedule as the bipartisan anti-war coalition neared 218 votes. Speaker Mike Johnson has now delayed or canceled the vote three separate times since April. Trump has vowed to veto any such resolution even if both chambers send it to his desk.

Collins-Dooley Enters Final Stretch; Early Voting Opens June 8:

The June 16 Georgia Senate runoff moves into its final two weeks with Rep. Mike Collins leading former UGA football coach Derek Dooley 50%–36% in the most recent JMC Analytics poll (May 26–27), with 14% still undecided. Early voting opens Monday June 8. Democrat Jon Ossoff, the general-election nominee, watches both Republicans drain resources ahead of November.

Maine Senate Candidate Platner Battered by Sexting, Racist Posts, Nazi Tattoo Scandal:

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner — seeking Sen. Susan Collins' Maine seat — is engulfed in overlapping controversies: reports of sexually explicit texts exchanged with at least a half-dozen women while married, old Reddit posts with racist and offensive content, and a skull-and-crossbones tattoo critics say resembles a Nazi symbol. Despite calls from within his own party to step aside, Sen. Bernie Sanders and key Democratic leaders are standing by Platner, who remains favored in Maine's primary. Republicans say the scandal is a gift heading into a competitive Senate cycle.

Trump's Redistricting Push Collapses in GOP-Controlled State Senate:

The South Carolina state Senate rejected President Trump's call to redraw congressional maps and eliminate Rep. Jim Clyburn's majority-Black 6th District, with Republican state senators refusing to halt an already-underway June 9 primary. "Neither my conscience nor my common sense will allow me to stop an election that is already underway," said GOP state Sen. Richard Cash. The vote is a setback for national Republican efforts to use mid-cycle redistricting to offset projected midterm losses.