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Just released voter registration numbers show an increase in voter registration statewide, with gains for Democrats and a marked increase in no party preference registrants.
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State records show that 80.65% of eligible Californians are registered to vote. That’s the highest percentage since June 1952. As of Oct. 1, there were 20,328,636 Californians registered.
The trend is largely reflected locally as well. The state saw a 20% increase in registration compared to the same period prior to the 2016 presidential primary election. In Fresno County, there was a 13% increase.
Republican registration suffered, with declines state- and county-wide, and in the city of Fresno. Clovis saw an increase in GOP registration (9%), but the gains were below those for NPP (42%) and Democrats (22%).
Democrats saw a 1% gain statewide but got a 10% bounce in the county and a 9% bump in the city of Fresno.
Partisan Advantage Remains in Federal, State Districts
For the congressional and state legislative offices representing all or parts of Fresno, the numbers continue to reflect the party of the incumbent.
Of the four congressional seats, District 16 represented by Jim Costa (D-Fresno) has the most partisan support, with a 44%-25% Democrat-to-Republican advantage. In fact, there are more NPP voters (26%) than Republicans. Costa’s strongest challenger in the 2020 election is a fellow Democrat, Fresno Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria.
Congressman TJ Cox (D-Fresno) and state Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) both won their respective seats in 2018. Their wins over Republican incumbents aligned the party of the representative to the political demographics of the district.
Cox, whose Congressional District 21 covers all or parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties, has a Democratic registration advantage of 43%-27% over the GOP. Prior to 2018, Republican David Valadao represented the area. The two are scheduled for a rematch in 2020.
Hurtado, whose district represents all or part of the same four counties as Cox, unseated Republican Andy Vidak in 2018. Her district has a 19-point Democratic edge.
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