Republicans hold their own in California scrum

Republican John Cox survived a crowded primary Tuesday to win a chance to vie for the California governor’s mansion in November. Cox saved the GOP from the embarrassment of getting wiped off the ballot in the state’s “jungle primary.” Regardless of party affiliation, the top two vote-getters in each race advance to the final election. In the overwhelmingly Democratic state, that often means Republicans don’t make it past the primary. Cox will face Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in a race Republicans hope will bring conservative voters to the polls and influence other contests. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein won her party’s nomination, but it’s not yet clear whether she’ll have a Republican opponent. Democrats are hoping to flip three Republican-held House seats, but initial results from Tuesday showed GOP candidates finishing first in all of three. In two of the races, Democrats faced a possible shutout as Republican candidates also appeared likely to take the No. 2 spot. Seven other states went to the polls Tuesday, with few unexpected outcomes. In Alabama, Republican Rep. Martha Roby failed to get 50 percent of her party’s vote, a sign her district’s conservative electorate hasn’t forgiven her for disavowing Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign. Roby was the first member of Congress to withdraw her endorsement over Trump’s treatment of women. Gov. Kay Ivey fended off three GOP challengers to secure her party’s nomination for another term. In South Dakota, Rep. Kristi Noem won the Republican primary in a bid to become the first woman elected as the state’s governor.