Democrat Eric Jones on Friday advanced to the November ballot in a Northern California congressional district, where he will face fellow Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson in the latest generational battle within the party.
Jones, a 35-year-old former venture capitalist, took the second slot in California’s top-two, nonpartisan June 2 primary for the state's 4th Congressional District. Thompson was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after serving as a state lawmaker.
Having two Democrats on the ballot will ensure that the district, which includes the Napa-Sonoma wine country and stretches across a wide swath of Northern California north of the state capital, will remain in Democratic hands.
The race becomes the second generational challenge against a California U.S. House Democrat. Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, replaced her late husband in the House when he died in 2005. She is facing a challenge from 41-year-old Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang.
In Los Angeles, 15-term Rep. Brad Sherman successfully fended off a younger Democratic challenger who did not advance to the November ballot because he failed to make the top two. Younger Democrats across the country have challenged older incumbents in the wake of former President Joe Biden's term.
California's House primaries were dominated by suspense over whether Democrats would be able to capitalize on their redraw of the House map to potentially pick up five additional seats in November. Democrats redrew the California map to counter Republican redistricting gains in Texas and other red states. Democrats were able to avoid getting locked out of any of the newly attainable seats.
Ballots are inspected the day after California's primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in City of Industry, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center was running out of options Friday evening to keep President Donald Trump's name on the facade of the iconic performing arts venue.
A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center's operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.
Scaffolding was erected earlier in the day around a section of the building that includes Trump's name. After a round of storms passed Friday evening, multiple workers were back at the scene further building out the scaffolding in an apparent effort to prepare for removing the letters referencing the president.
Dozens of people gathered in the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as workers built the scaffolding.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump's name was quickly added to the building.
In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.
The Kennedy Center's leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump's speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.
“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”
Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump's name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper's initial ruling.
A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”
The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump's name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.
Associated Press journalists Anna Johnson, Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Workers construct scaffolding at the sign for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Workers erect scaffolding in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Workers construct scaffolding below the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Workers erect scaffolding in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
A worker sits on scaffolding at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
