Democrats running for Congress got help from former President Barack Obama. From left to right: Josh Harder (CA-10), TJ Cox (CA-21), Gil Cisneros (CA-39), Obama, Katie Porter (CA-45), Harley Rouda (CA-48) and Mike Levin (CA-49) wave to supporters during a congressional candidates rally at the Anaheim Convention Center on Sept. 8, 2018. (Barbara Davidson/Getty Images)
Updated Wednesday, 10:14 a.m.
Democrats will have control of the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 2019, but it’s unclear how many California Democrats will be a part of that majority.
Wednesday morning, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, an incumbent, was declared the winner in a tighter than expected race against Ammar Campa-Najjar.
50th District: Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) vs. Duncan Hunter* (R)
State of CaliforniaNov 7, 2018 9:55 AM PST71.02% Precincts Reporting
This race was expected to be a significant reach for Democrats, who wanted to unseat incumbent Hunter in this eastern San Diego County district that Trump won by 15 points. But after Hunter was indicted for allegedly using campaign money as a personal slush fund, his Democratic challenger Ammar Campa-Najjar was able to parlay those legal challenges into a strong fundraising push and catch up to him in the polls in the final weeks of the campaign, even as Hunter attacked him with false smears.
The six remaining California congressional districts that Democrats had hoped to flip from Republican control are still too close to call (asterisk denotes incumbent).
10th District: Jeff Denham* (R) vs. Josh Harder (D)
Democrat Josh Harder raised $7 million in his bid to unseat Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in this Central Valley district that borders the Bay Area. That proximity led many Bay Area liberals to pour time and money into Harder’s campaign.
25th District: Katie Hill (D) vs. Steve Knight* (R)
Democratic challenger Katie Hill also outraised her Republican incumbent opponent, Rep. Steve Knight, in a district that sits at the northern edge of Los Angeles County and includes portions of southern Ventura County. Hill is trying to take advantage of demographic changes in the district, which has become less white and more diverse.
39th District: Gil Cisneros (D) vs. Young Kim (R)
This is an open election to fill the seat vacated by 13-term Republican Rep. Ed Royce, who chose not to run for re-election. The district, which includes parts of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, splits equally among Democrats, Republicans and independents.
45th District: Katie Porter (D) vs. Mimi Walters* (R)
UC Irvine law professor Katie Porter is challenging Republican Rep. Mimi Walters for this Orange County seat. Porter has attacked Walters’ support of Trump’s tax cuts and offshore oil drilling.
48th District: Dana Rohrabacher* (R) vs. Harley Rouda (D)
State of CaliforniaNov 7, 2018 2:28 AM PST100% Precincts Reporting
The GOP has a 10-point registration advantage in this district, but Republican incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is seen as vulnerable, in part because of his close ties to Russia. Rouda, a former Republican, has also criticized Rohrabacher — who has represented the Huntington Beach area for three decades — for not showing up for his constituents.
49th District: Diane Harkey (R) vs. Mike Levin (D)
State of CaliforniaNov 7, 2018 2:14 AM PST66.24% Precincts Reporting
In another seat left open by the retirement of a longtime Republican congressman — this time Rep. Darrell Issa — Democratic environmental attorney Mike Levin is taking on Republican Assemblywoman Diane Harkey in a district that covers northern San Diego County and a part of southern Orange County. Like many Democrat candidates, Levin far outraised Harkey.
