Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Report, Seeks $10 Billion

2 days ago

Clovis Unified Mourns Passing of Former Superintendent Terry Bradley

2 days ago

Clovis At-Risk Missing Person Found Dead in Fresno Canal

2 days ago

DOJ Asks California Sheriffs for Names of Inmates Who Aren’t Citizens

2 days ago

Israel Agrees to Allow Syrian Troops Limited Access to Sweida

2 days ago

Border Patrol Agents Raid a Home Depot in Northern California

2 days ago

Man Admits to Killing Missing Bass Lake Resident, Madera County Authorities Say

3 days ago

Trump Diagnosed With Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

3 days ago

US Seeks One-Day Sentence for Police Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case

3 days ago

Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired

3 days ago
Republicans Hope to Set Stage for House Turnaround in Valley, State
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
March 3, 2020

Share

LOS ANGELES — California is one of the most heavily Democratic states in the country, but Republicans this year are determined to regain a string of U.S. House seats the party lost to Democrats two years ago. President Donald Trump, who wants the House back under GOP control and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demoted, has said that with hard work Republicans “can pick up seven seats in the state of California.”

Tuesday’s primary election will set the stage for those November battles, which will play out in a state that is home to the so-called Trump resistance and where the president is widely unpopular outside his core GOP base.
Tuesday’s primary election will set the stage for those November battles, which will play out in a state that is home to the so-called Trump resistance and where the president is widely unpopular outside his core GOP base.
Republicans currently hold a mere six of the state’s 53 House seats, with two vacancies. But the party wants to show it can bounce back, even in a state where Democrats control every statewide office, dominate both chambers of the Legislature and hold a 4.3-million edge in voter registrations.
The seven races in districts won by Democrats in 2018:

10th Congressional District

Venture capitalist Josh Harder grabbed this farm belt seat from Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in 2018. This time he’s facing challengers from both parties, including Republicans Ted Howze, a veterinarian, and Bob Elliott, a San Joaquin County supervisor. Democrats hold a registration edge in the district, though the state’s agricultural centers have long been known for Republicans who vote reliably and Democrats who often do not.

Photo of Rep. Josh Harder with a stuffed swamp rat at a congressional hearing
Rep. Josh Harder, with Nellie the stuffed swamp rat, at a hearing in September 2019. (Office of Rep. Josh Harder)

21st Congressional District

Trump recently called former Republican Rep. David Valadao “an incredible guy” he wants back in Washington. But to get there, he’ll need to defeat the Democrat who narrowly beat him in 2018, Rep. TJ Cox. The district has a deceptively large Democratic registration edge — Valadao held the seat for several terms before Cox’s 2018 victory. They are among four candidates on the ballot.

25th Congressional District

This swing district north of Los Angeles is vacant after Democratic Rep. Katie Hill resigned amid a sex scandal and House ethics probe last year. Leading Democrats include Christy Smith, a state legislator backed by the party establishment, and online news personality and progressive Cenk Uygur. The GOP field includes former Rep. Steve Knight, who lost the seat to Hill in 2018, former Navy combat pilot Mike Garcia and former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, who served a two-week prison sentence for lying to the FBI about his interactions with Russian intermediaries during the 2016 campaign.

Photo of Katie Hill
Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill (D-Santa Clarita) FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Katie Hill speaks during an interview after voting in Agua Dulce, Calif. Hill announced her resignation over the weekend following the publication of explicit photos that outed the relationship. She describes the photos as “revenge porn” and is vowing to fight the problem so that women and girls don’t shy away from politics in the future. Hill’s resignation in a sex scandal she blamed on an abusive husband has observers wondering if women are held to higher standards in public life and what the future holds for politicians coming of age in the iPhone era. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

39th Congressional District

Voters in the closely divided, diverse district anchored in Orange County could end up seeing a rematch between first-term Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros and Republican Young Kim. Cisneros claimed the seat in 2018, one of four Republican-held districts all or partly in Orange County that Democrats claimed two years ago, a stunning realignment in a county once known as a national GOP stronghold.

45th Congressional District

Rep. Katie Porter proved that even a progressive can win in the heart of what was once California’s “Reagan country” in a district with a Repubican tilt. The law professor and protégé of presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren snatched the Orange County seat in 2018 from Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. This time, Porter is the sole Democrat on the ballot and a handful of Republicans are dueling for a chance to challenge her, including Laguna Hills City Councilman Don Sedgwick, Yorba Linda Councilwoman Peggy Huang and Lisa Sparks, dean of Chapman University’s School of Communications.

48th Congressional District

Democrat Harley Rouda pushed out long-serving Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in this Orange County district in 2018 in an upset. The coastal district retains a Republican registration edge, but Rouda exposed its shifting politics with his surprise win. The leading Republican in the race is Michelle Steel, who heads the county Board of Supervisors.

49th Congressional District

First-term Rep. Mike Levin is defending his seat against Republican Brian Maryott, the only candidates on the ballot. The district anchored in San Diego County has a small Republican registration edge but has been growing increasingly favorable for Democrats for years. Levin carried the district by nearly 13 points in 2018.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He Will Help Afghans Stuck in the UAE

DON'T MISS

Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church

DON'T MISS

Ex-Epstein Lawyer Calls for Release of Additional Epstein Materials

DON'T MISS

Israeli Fire Kills 67 People Seeking Aid in Gaza, Medics Say, as Hunger Worsens

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s Measure C Panel Prioritizes Roads After Ousting City Rep for Criticism

DON'T MISS

California Is Finally Adopting Phonics, Fulfilling a Grandmother’s Dream

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Deadly Assault in Kingsburg

DON'T MISS

Peach the Prancing Pup Could Be Fresno’s Next Ninja Warrior

DON'T MISS

At Least 32 Killed by Israeli Fire While Seeking Aid in Gaza, Hospital Says

DON'T MISS

At Least 30 Injured When Car Hits Crowd Outside Los Angeles Club, Fire Department Says

UP NEXT

Bains Is Challenging Valadao. An Early Look at Fundraising.

UP NEXT

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

UP NEXT

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

UP NEXT

Gavin Newsom Finally Admits He’s Contemplating a Run for President

UP NEXT

5 Takeaways From the Democrats’ Final NYC Mayoral Debate

UP NEXT

US Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Overhauling Federal Elections

UP NEXT

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

UP NEXT

Tim Walz Urges Democrats to Fight Back Harder Against ‘Bully’ Trump

UP NEXT

Republican Tuberville Announces Bid for Alabama Governor

UP NEXT

Why Kamala Harris Could Run for California Governor and Bypass Another White House Bid

Israeli Fire Kills 67 People Seeking Aid in Gaza, Medics Say, as Hunger Worsens

2 hours ago

Fresno’s Measure C Panel Prioritizes Roads After Ousting City Rep for Criticism

5 hours ago

California Is Finally Adopting Phonics, Fulfilling a Grandmother’s Dream

6 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Deadly Assault in Kingsburg

20 hours ago

Peach the Prancing Pup Could Be Fresno’s Next Ninja Warrior

1 day ago

At Least 32 Killed by Israeli Fire While Seeking Aid in Gaza, Hospital Says

1 day ago

At Least 30 Injured When Car Hits Crowd Outside Los Angeles Club, Fire Department Says

1 day ago

Merced Man Drowns While Kayak Fishing at Courtright Reservoir

1 day ago

Syrian Forces Struggle to Implement Ceasefire in Druze Region

1 day ago

California Medical School Welcomes Record Class of Fresno State Graduates

1 day ago

Trump Says He Will Help Afghans Stuck in the UAE

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would help Afghans detained in the United Arab Emirates for years after fleeing ...

2 hours ago

President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Republican Senators, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Trump Says He Will Help Afghans Stuck in the UAE

Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
2 hours ago

Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church

American lawyer Alan Dershowitz returns to the courtroom for the criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump after a short break at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, U.S., 20 May 2024. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Ex-Epstein Lawyer Calls for Release of Additional Epstein Materials

Palestinians gather as they carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, amid a hunger crisis, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
2 hours ago

Israeli Fire Kills 67 People Seeking Aid in Gaza, Medics Say, as Hunger Worsens

Sign Promoting Completion of Measure C Project at McKinley and Clovis Avenues near the Airport
5 hours ago

Fresno’s Measure C Panel Prioritizes Roads After Ousting City Rep for Criticism

Oakland Students Learning to Read
6 hours ago

California Is Finally Adopting Phonics, Fulfilling a Grandmother’s Dream

20 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Deadly Assault in Kingsburg

Peach, a 2-year-old chihuahua in Fresno, is capturing hearts with her sweet personality, love for play, and unexpected fence-climbing talents that hint at a future in canine stardom. (Mell's Mutts)
1 day ago

Peach the Prancing Pup Could Be Fresno’s Next Ninja Warrior

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend