LOS ANGELES (AP) — Incumbent members of California’s congressional delegation survived their primary elections as expected, but Tuesday’s results reinforced beliefs that the state will see numerous competitive and fiercely fought elections in November.
That is particularly true for districts in which lawmakers failed to garner 50 percent of the vote.
Republican strategists were heartened that the candidates they viewed as most viable in the general election advanced out of the top-two primary. Among them was former Republican congressman Doug Ose, who finished ahead of tea party favorite Igor Birman in the state’s 7th Congressional District in suburban Sacramento. He now will focus exclusively on defeating freshman Democratic Rep. Ami Bera.
Republican Carl DeMaio, who is openly gay, overcame opposition from social conservative groups within the GOP and will now seek to defeat another freshman Democrat, Rep. Scott Peters, in a San Diego-based district.
Meanwhile, some incumbents could face difficult challenges from members of their own party. That’s a result of California’s new primary format that allows the top two finishers regardless of party affiliation to advance a general-election runoff.
Democratic Rep. Mike Honda handily finished first in his Silicon Valley-based district, but he will face a well-financed opponent in attorney Ro Khanna, a fellow Democrat. On the other side of the political spectrum, Republican Rep. Tom McClintock easily finished first in his primary, but he could face a tougher task if veteran Art Moore can hang on to take second.
Democrats made clear that results from a low-turnout primary will not necessarily translate into success for Republicans during the general election, when more of the state’s liberal-leaning electorate participates.
Rep. Steve Israel, who is leading the Democratic campaign efforts in the House, said the party’s incumbents did well considering a turnout model that favored the GOP in the primary.
“While Republicans spent their resources fighting divisive primaries, Democrats stockpiled their campaign war chests and will have the resources they need to communicate their message of strengthening the middle class to Golden State voters,” Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
Republicans said they also believe they have a chance to unseat freshmen Reps. Julia Brownley in Ventura County and Raul Ruiz from Coachella Valley. While Ruiz managed to cross the 50 percent threshold in the primary, he barely did so. Brownley, meanwhile, received 46 percent of the vote versus 44 percent for Republican Jeff Gorell.
Tyler Houlton, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Republicans’ pro-jobs message was resonating with California voters. “Democrats are playing defense in California and should be very worried about their electoral fate in November,” he said in a statement.
Bera gained 47 percent of the vote while facing three Republican challengers. Ose finished a distant second after splitting the vote with two other Republicans, but that was enough to advance to November, where he can expect to gain the vast majority of votes that went to other GOP candidates.
Bera said he looks forward to running on a record “of keeping my promises to Sacramento County,” while Ose said he will focus his message on job growth and helping owners of small businesses.
In the San Diego contest, Peters gained 42 percent of the vote. DeMaio, a former member of the city council, was the top vote-getter among three Republican candidates, gaining nearly 36 percent of the vote.
In a similar fashion, DeMaio can expect to pick up most of the votes that went to fellow Republicans Kirk Jorgensen and Fred Simon. In all, Republican candidates picked up nearly 58 percent of the vote in the race.
Democrats have targeted two GOP-controlled seats, one held by freshman Rep. David Valadao in a farm-dominated congressional district within the state’s San Joaquin Valley. The other is an open seat held by retiring Rep. Gary Miller in Southern California.
Democrats have a steep climb nationally to reclaim power in the House, and the party needs to flip seats in California to have any hope of assuming majority status next year. Democratic Party officials are eager for a reprise of 2012, when California provided four of the eight House seats the party gained nationally.
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Freking reported from Washington, D.C.
