RUNOFF FOR CONGRESS
Freshman Democratic incumbents in other House contests face tough fights.
Christy Smith celebrates with state Democratic Chair Rusty Hicks at her campaign headquarters. She and Republican Mike Garcia appeared headed for a runoff to replace Rep. Katie Hill.
Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith of Santa Clarita and Republican former Navy pilot Mike Garcia were in a tight race Tuesday night to succeed Rep. Katie Hill in one of California’s most competitive congressional districts, in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, according to early election returns.
Former Rep. Steve Knight, the Republican who was ousted by Hill, a Democrat, in 2018, was close behind in an election that is likely to yield two runoffs — one in May to fill Hill’s seat for the rest of the year and another in November for the full two-year term that starts in January.
Trailing far behind were Cenk Uygur, host of the liberal talk show “The Young Turks”; George Papadopoulos, a 2016 Trump campaign advisor who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia scandal; and more than half a dozen others.
Smith was the candidate favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many other Democratic luminaries, and Knight was backed by the House Republican leadership.
The 25th Congressional District covers Simi Valley, Porter Ranch, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and part of Lancaster.
A former Republican stronghold, it has become a toss-up in recent years as the population has grown and diversified, due largely to an inf lux of people seeking affordable housing on the far outskirts of L.A.
Hill stepped down in November amid accusations that she’d had affairs with congressional and campaign staff members. The conservative RedState website and a British tabloid published nude photos of Hill, who said she feared the “appalling invasion” of privacy would worsen if she remained in Congress.
Hill’s downfall came a year after she unseated Knight in the 2018 midterm election that gave Democrats control of the House in a nationwide suburban revolt against President Trump and his Republicans allies in Congress.
Hill was one of seven Democrats to capture seats previously held by Republicans in California.
At least three of the other Democrats face tough fights in November to retain their seats.
In the Central Valley’s 21st Congressional District, Rep. T.J. Cox (D-Fresno) was facing a major challenge Tuesday from Republican David Valadao, whom he unseated in 2018. Early returns showed Valadao holding a wide lead in the primary. In California congressional races, the candidates who finish first and second in the primary face off in the November general election regardless of party.
In Orange County, Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda of Laguna Beach is facing a formidable opponent in the 48th Congressional District against a well-funded Republican, Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel. She was well ahead of Rouda in early returns Tuesday.
And another Democratic freshman, Rep. Gil Cisneros of Yorba Linda, is battling in the 39th Congressional District against Republican Young Kim, the former state assemblywoman he narrowly defeated in 2018. She too was leading in preliminary returns Tuesday.
In a state that has turned strongly against the GOP over the last couple decades, Republicans now hold just six of the state’s 53 House seats. They won seven in 2018, but former GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter resigned in January after pleading guilty to a felony in a campaign money scandal.
Hunter’s seat in the Republican-leaning 50th Congressional District, straddling San Diego and Riverside counties, will be vacant until voters choose his successor in November; his resignation came too late for the race to complete his term to be placed on the March 3 ballot.
The best-known Republican vying Tuesday to replace Hunter was former Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista. In the initial results in Tuesday’s primary, Issa was running just behind Ammar Campa-Najjar, the Democrat who lost to Hunter in 2018 even as the congressman was under indictment.
The runoff to replace Hill for the rest of the year is scheduled to take place May 12.
The one for the two-year term starting in January will be on Nov. 3, the day of the presidential election.