GOP fighter keeps its seat, but 6 California Congress races are still too close to the goal | The California report

Updated Wednesday, 10:14

Democrats will control the US House of Representatives starting in 2019, but it is unclear how many Democrats in California will be in this majority.

On Wednesday morning, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter was declared the winner in a tighter-than-expected race against Ammar Campa-Najjar.

50th district: Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) against Duncan Hunter * (D)

This race was supposed to be a significant breakthrough for the Democrats, who wanted to overthrow Hunter in the San Diego district of eastern San Diego County, which Trump had won by 15 points. But after Hunter was charged with allegedly using the campaign money as a personal slush fund, his Democratic opponent, Ammar Campa-Najjar, was able to turn these legal challenges into a massive fundraising campaign. and to catch up with him in the polls of the last weeks of the campaign, even as Hunter was attacking him with fake smears.

The other six regions of the California Congress that Democrats hoped to overthrow Republican control are still too close to be named (asterisk says outgoing president).

10th District: Jeff Denham * (D) vs. Josh Harder (D)

Democrat Josh Harder raised $ 7 million to overthrow Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in the Central Valley District of the Bay Area. This proximity has led many Liberals in the Washington Bay area to spend time and money on the Harder campaign.

25th District: Katie Hill (D) vs. Steve Knight * (D)

Democratic challenger Katie Hill also questioned his outgoing Republican opponent, Rep. Steve Knight, in a district in northern Los Angeles County that includes parts of southern Ventura County. Hill tries to take advantage of demographic changes in the district, which has become less white and more diverse.

39th district: Gil Cisneros (D) against Young Kim (D)

This is a public election to fill the vacancy left by the 13-term Republican Representative, Ed Royce, who chose not to run again. The district, which includes parts of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, is split equally between Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

45th District: Katie Porter (D) vs. Mimi Walters * (D)

Katie Porter, a law professor at the University of Irvine, is contesting Republican Representative Mimi Walters for her seat in Orange County. Porter attacked Walters' support for Trump's offshore tax cuts and offshore oil drilling.

48th District: Dana Rohrabacher * (D) vs. Harley Rouda (D)

The GOP has a 10-point advantage in this district, but Republican acting representative Dana Rohrabacher is considered vulnerable, in part because of her close ties to Russia. Rouda, a former Republican, has also criticized Rohrabacher – who has been representing the Huntington Beach area for three decades – for failing to defend his constituents.

49th District: Diane Harkey (D) vs. Mike Levin (D)

At another seat left vacant by the retirement of a long-time Republican deputy – this time, Darrell Issa's representative – Democrat Envoy for the Environment, Mike Levin, confronts Republican MP Diane Harkey in a district covering northern San Diego County and part of southern Orange County. Like many Democratic candidates, Levin has far surpassed Harkey.

Marisa Lagos from KQED contributed to the writing of this article.