Unseating Longtime California Reps, Democrats Take The House

LOS ANGELES, CA — Democrats appear to have flipped three house seats in California, possibly unseating two long-serving incumbents by razor-thin margins to end one-party rule in Washington Tuesday, according to preliminary election results. In the end, Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Republicans increased their majority in the Senate.

As the vote count continued to roll in Wednesday morning, it appeared that a 15-term Orange County Congressman and Los Angeles' last Republican representative could be unseated by a pair of political newcomers. According to preliminary counts, coastal Orange County's Rep. Dana Rohrabacher lost to Democratic challenger Harley Rouda by less than 2,000 votes. In Northern Los Angeles County, Congressman Steve Knight was unseated by Democrat Katie Hill, who defied the polls to squeak out a victory. The tallies have not been certified and neither incumbent has conceded. There could still be enough outstanding provisional and mail-in ballots to change the outcome of those races.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former Democratic House Majority Leader and frontrunner to resume the role, took a victory lap with supporters Tuesday night. The Bay Area Congresswoman credited volunteers who went door-to-door across the country with the the victory.

"Thanks to you we owned the ground," she told supporters. "Thanks to you, tomorrow will be a new day in America. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans. It’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration. It’s about stopping the GOP and Mitch McConnell’s assault on Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and the healthcare of 130 million Americans living with pre-existing medical conditions.

"It’s about ending wealthy special interest’s free reign over Washington, but more than anything it’s about what a new Democratic majority will mean in the lives of hard-working Americans. Democrats pledge a Congress that works for the people."

Though the election is over, there are already signs of the challenge ahead for Democrats in deciding how to use their newfound subpoena powers to investigate the president. Party leaders vowed to reopen the House Russia investigation and to obtain Trump's tax returns. Pelosi has indicated that she is not pursuing impeachment, but she faces pressure from the party's liberal base.

“The American people have voted for real change, and it’s critical that these new representatives recognize this will only come with a true political reckoning for the corruption, self-dealing and lawlessness exemplified by Mr. Trump,” California billionaire Tom Steyer, told the New York Times. “He cannot be permitted to continue to break the law with impunity.”

California voters were riled up this election day. More voters headed to the polls or voted by mail than any midterm election in the last half century, and the name front-and-center in every House race wasn’t even on the ballot.

According to preliminary vote counts, California Republican incumbents Jeff Denham, Devin Nunes and Mimi Walters appeared to have survived challenges from the left.

On the final day of the campaign President Donald Trump urged supporters to vote as if he was on the ballot — a message as likely to backfire in California as it is to pay off in Trump country. But before polls had closed in California, at least one news outlet, NBC News projected a House takeover after East Coast Democrats flipped 12 of the 23 seats they will need to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Live Election Results In Competitive California Congressional Races with some precincts partially reporting as of 2:20 a.m.

For the first time in a generation, California seemed poised to play a central role in the battle for Congress. The Golden State started Election Day with six very competitive races with the potential to flip from red to blue, positioning California to play spoiler to the president during the final two years of his term.

In the end, Democrats were over ambitious in thinking every Congressional District in conservative Orange County could go Blue. Democrats had their eyes on five seats in Southern California including four in Orange County and two being vacated by Republican incumbents.

Orange Goes Purple

In Orange County, Democrats were giddy at the possibility of flipping the cradle of California conservatism. But they appeared to fall short of their goal Tuesday. Republicans, too, were feeling confident Tuesday morning about their chances of holding Orange County, but they also may have been overly hopeful. According to preliminary results, Orange County appeared two be headed toward a split decision with two competitive races going blue and two staying red.

Despite the loss of two seats, the outcome was a minor victory for Republicans. Polls showed the party in danger of losing as many as four seats in Orange County.

"I think we're feeling incredible," said Jeff LeTourneau, the vice chair of the North Orange County chapter of the Orange County Democratic Party.

"We could sweep this thing, all four (congressional seats)," he predicted Tuesday morning.

But, in the end, the experienced Walters rallied her supporters to stave off a challenge by UCI Law Professor Katie Porter. Walters defied the polls that made her the underdog going onto Election Day.

But Orange County Republican leaders weren’t panicking Tuesday. Party Chairman Fred Whitaker said he was encouraged by the numbers of absentee ballots being turned in.

"I'm really pleased with the get-out-the-vote results of the weekend," Whitaker said Tuesday morning. "I'm very positive about the absentee ballot results so far. We're looking forward to holding all of these (congressional) seats."

Whitaker acknowledged "certainly a higher turnout than past midterms," but, he added, "it's not as high as the general (election). And if you take a look at our voters we're getting our voters out for us. We're pretty pleased with the trajectory."

"The demographics look really good" for Republicans, Whitaker said. "There is much more youth voting, but if you look at over 50 (voters) it's really, really good."

In the 39th District where longtime GOP Congressman Ed Royce is retiring, his protege Kim Young pulled off a come-from-behind victory to become the nation's first Korean legislator. Throughout the campaign season, Young had trailed in the polls behind Lottery jackpot winner and educational philanthropist Gil Cisneros. However, according to preliminary ballot counts, she beat him by nearly 4,000 votes.

In the end, turnout appeared to be way up in Orange County where four Congressional seats were rated Toss-Ups or likely to flip Tuesday. Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley predicted turnout might reach 68 percent, easily besting the 2010 midterm election that was a wave election for Republicans and saw a turnout of 55 percent.

Not very long ago, it would have been unthinkable that Democrats patch back to power would run through conservative Orange County. But the demographics have been changing and Trump hastened those changes, in part, by repelling the kind of educated suburban voters that make up the affluent Orange County voter pool.

Here are California’s most competitive Congressional districts:

The 10th Congressional District

The Modesto-area Republican Congressman Jeff Denham facedDemocratic challenger Josh Harder. The district is a cluster of cities and farming communities with a large Latino population, and Harder's success would depend on his ability to get Latinos to head to the polls and vote for him.

The 25th Congressional District

Rep. Steve Knight went into Election Day fighting to remain LA County’s only Republican congressman. And that's how he ended the day too, trailing his challenger. The former LAPD officer and Army veteran has seen his district – which straddles the county’s northern border – diversify. The Republican registration edge is shrinking, creating an opening for Democratic challenger and nonprofit executive Katie Hill. A Siena College/New York Times poll gave Knight the lead to start the day. Hill enjoyed a helping hand from Hollywood over the weekend as actress Kristen Bell canvassed for her.

The 39th Congressional District

This is the race between the lottery winner and the protege. Longtime Republican Rep. Ed Royce is retiring, and his aid and protege Young Kim sought to take his place. But like most of Southern California, it’s not the same electorate that sent Royce to Congress, and Democrat Gil Cisneros, a lottery jackpot winner and education philanthropist, led in the polls only to fall short on Election Day. The race was considered a toss-up by Cook Political Report, but Young maintained a slight but steady lead.

The 45th Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters was in the political fight of her life. The Laguna Niguel businesswoman had been trailing in the polls to UCI Law professor and progressive Democrat Katie Porter. Porter hammered Walters for her support of the Republican tax cuts, which will cost homeowners in the wealthy Orange County district. It appeared to be working, as Porter held a slight lead in the polls. But on election day, Walters appeared to easily fend off the challenge by Porter.

The 48th Congressional District

Residents in coastal Orange County have elected Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher to 15 terms, but his support for Russia and ties to the Special Counsel’s Russian investigation may have dragged him down. For the first time, he faced a legitimate challenge from the left. Republican-turned-Democrat Harley Rouda, a Laguna Beach real estate investor, held a tenuous lead in the polls and preliminary vote counts.

The 49th Congressional District

This district straddling Orange and San Diego counties posed the biggest risk to Republicans in the state. Republican Darrell Issa is retiring, and the demographics appear to have shifted firmly to the left since he was elected so many years ago.

Democratic candidate Mike Levin, an environmental law attorney, held consistent leads in the polls over Republican candidate Diane Harkey, the pro-business chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization. As of early Wednesday, he appeared to be headed toward victory.

The 50th Congressional District

Republican incumbent Duncan Hunter likely wouldn’t have been in jeopardy in this conservative San Diego district if not for a criminal indictment accusing him and his wife of misusing campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle. Since the indictment, Democratic challenger Ammar Campa-Najjar, a staffer for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, climbed in the polls. But Hunter appears to have survived the threat to his reelection.

Photo: LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 06: Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the midterm elections minutes before the polls open on November 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, United States. Political races across the country are being hotly contested for House and Senate seats. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Photo: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), joined by House Democrats, leaves the podium after delivering remarks during a DCCC election watch party at the Hyatt Regency on November 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)