A series of closely contested races in California with pending results could determine whether Republicans take control of the House of Representatives.
With millions of votes still uncut on Wednesday in the US’s most populous state, there was still uncertainty about about a dozen of California’s 52 seats in the lower house. The closest were in the Los Angeles region and in the Central Valley.
In Southern California, Democrats Katie Porter and Mike Levin were locked in close races, despite a campaign by President Joe Biden for them in the closing days of the campaign.
In East Los Angeles, Republican Ken Calvert trailed Democrat Will Rollins by 12 points, but less than a third of early votes had been counted.
In the Central Valley, Republican David Valadao, who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump, had 54% of the votes counted so far in his race with Democrat Rudy Salas, but most ballots have not been cast. tabulated.
If Democrats defeat Calvert and manage to win other races where they are ahead or slightly behind, the year would be similar to 2018, when the party captured seven seats held by Republicans and regained control of the House of Representatives.
But if Calvert holds out and Republicans outperform Porter and Levin and win an open seat in Central California, the scenario would be similar to 2020, when GOP candidates displaced four Democrats in a state where they trail 2-1 among registered voters.
If Democrats manage to hold Porter and Levin’s seats, and defeat Calvert, “the so-called red tide that has swept the country will turn into a tidal wave,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego. .
California generally managed to maintain its liberal lean on election day, with Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Alex Padilla, both Democrats, being re-elected.
Voters also overwhelmingly supported including abortion rights in the state constitution, and the Legislature remained firmly in Democratic hands.
Republicans hold only 11 seats out of 53 in the state, which will be reduced to 52 next year because California’s huge population growth has stalled in recent years.
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