GOP Rep. Rohrabacher loses seat

The Californian had held the seat for more than 30 years

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has lost the congressional seat he held for 30 years, another defeat for Republicans as other GOP incumbents fell behind in the latest ballot counts, putting the party in fear of losing all six tightly contested House races in California.

The loss was projected on Saturday by the Associated Press. But Dale Neugebauer, a spokesman for Rohrabacher, noted that more than 300,000 ballots were still to be tallied in Orange County. He said the campaign would have an official statement once the count was complete.

Democrat Harley Rouda declared victory Saturday morning, saying he was “deeply humbled and honored to have the

opportunity to serve.”

The real estate entrepreneur’s win came after two decades of erosion in the Republican base and a time when Rohrabacher’s friendliness to people with links to Russia has become more controversial. California Republicans have already lost two of six hotly contested races in the state and have fallen behind in three of the last unresolved races, as suburban voters nationwide rebuked President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress.

Democrats have won the seats of GOP Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, who declined to seek re-election, and Steve Knight of Palmdale, who was ousted by Democrat Katie Hill. On Friday, Democrat Josh Harder overtook Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in the latest ballot count for his Central Valley district in the Modesto area.