California Democrats Lost Ground in the State’s Congressional Delegation

From a statewide view, California is a reliably Democratic state these days–but zoom in closer, to the level of individual Congressional districts, and it’s not always so blue. In fact, in 2020, even while Joe Biden sailed to victory at the top of the ticket, Democrats lost some of their recent gains in the House delegation.

Here’s a look at results of all the California House races in 2020 as of November 13. Results remain unofficial until December 11. Changes from the 116th Congress are highlighted.

CA-1 – Winner: Doug LaMalfa (R)

Counties: Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama

Doug LaMalfa (R): 43.1%
Audrey Denny (D): 56.9%

CA-2 – Winner: Jared Huffman (D)

Counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity

Jared Huffman (D): 78.3%
Dale K. Mensing (R): 21.7%

CA-3 – Winner: John Garamendi (D)

Counties: Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba

John Garamendi (D): 54.7%
Tamika Hamilton (R): 45.3%

CA-4 – Winner: Tom McClintock (R)

Counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumme

Tom McClintock (R): 55.8%
Brynne S. Kennedy (D): 44.2%

CA-5 – Winner: Mike Thompson (D)

Counties: Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma

Mike Thompson (D): 77.6%
Scott Giblin (R): 22.4%

CA-6 – Winner: Doris Matsui (D)

Counties: Sacramento, Yolo

Doris Matsui (D): 74.7%
Chris Bish (R): 25.3%

CA-7 – Winner: Ami Bera (D)

Counties: Sacramento

Buzz Paterson (R): 41.5%
Ami Bera (D): 58.5%

CA-8 – Winner: Jay Obernolte (R)

Counties: Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino

Incumbent Paul Cook (R) did not seek reelection. He ran and won a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors instead. Jay Obernolte is a video game developer and former mayor of Big Bear. The seat remains in Republican hands.

Jared Huffman (D): 44.1%
Jay Obernolte (R): 55.9%

CA-9 – Winner: Jerry McNerney (D)

Counties: Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin

Jerry McNerney (D): 58.7%
Antonio C. Amador (R): 41.3%

CA-10 – Winner: Josh Harder (D)

Counties: San Joaquin, Stanislaus

Ted Howze (R): 44.2%
Josh Harder (D): 55.8%

CA-11 – Winner: Mark DeSaulnier (D)

Counties: Contra Costa

Mark DeSaulnier (D): 73.1%
Nisha Sharma (R): 26.9%

CA-12 – Winner: Nancy Pelosi (D)

Counties: San Francisco

Nancy Pelosi (D): 77.7%
Shahid Buttar (R): 23.3%

CA-13 – Winner: Barbara Lee (D)

Counties: San Francisco, Alameda

Barbara Lee (D): 90.4%
Nikka Piterman (R): 9.6%

CA-14 – Winner: Jackie Speier (D)

Counties: San Francisco, San Mateo

Ran S. Petel (R): 20.7%
Jackie Speier (D): 79.3%

CA-15 – Winner: Eric Swalwell (D)

Counties: Contra Costa, Alameda

Eric Swalwell (D): 70.9%
Alison Hayden (R): 29.1%

CA-16 – Winner: Jim Costa (D)

Counties: Fresno, Madera, Merced

Jim Costa (D): 59.4%
Kevin Cookingham (R): 40.6%

CA-17 – Winner: Ro Khanna (D)

Counties: Alameda, Santa Clara

Ro Khanna (D): 71.3%
Ritesh Tandon (R): 28.7%

CA-18 – Winner: Anna G. Eshoo (D)

Counties: San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz

Rishi Kumar (R): 36.8%
Anna G. Eshoo (D): 63.2%

CA-19 – Winner: Zoe Lofgren (D)

Counties: Santa Clara

Zoe Lofgren (D): 71.8%
Justin James Aguilera (R): 28.2%

CA-20 – Winner: Jimmy Panetta (D)

Counties: Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz

Jimmy Panetta (D): 77.0%
Jeff Gorman (R): 23.0%

CA-21 – Too Close to Call

Counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare

Incumbent Democrat TJ Cox appeared to be narrowly losing to challenger David G. Valadao as vote totals were initially announced, but as more ballots, particularly from Kern County, have been counted, Cox’s total pulled ahead. The race is a re-match of 2018, when Cox squeaked out a victory over Valadao by just 862 votes.

TJ Cox (D): 49.3%
David G. Valadao (R): 50.7%

CA-22 – Winner: Devin G. Nunes (R)

Counties: Fresno, Tulare

Phil Arballo (D): 45.8%
Devin G. Nunes (R): 54.2%

CA-23 – Winner: Kevin McCarthy (D)

Counties: Kern, Tulare, Los Angeles

Kim Mangone (D): 38.4%
Kevin McCarthy (R): 61.6%

CA-24 – Winner: Salud Carbajal (D)

Counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Salud Carbajal (D): 58.8%
Andy Caldwell (R): 41.2%

CA-25 – Too Close to Call

Counties: Los Angeles, Ventura

Opponents Mike Garcia and Christy Smith have traded the lead in votes multiple times as counting continues. Garcia currently sits in the seat, having just won a special election in March after Katie Hill resigned.

Christy Smith (D): 50.0%
Mike Garcia (D): 50.0%

CA-26 – Winner: Julia Brownley (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, Ventura

Julia Brownley (D): 60.6%
Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy (R): 39.4%

CA-27 – Winner: Judy Chu (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino

Judy Chu (D): 70.0%
Johnny J. Nalbandian (R): 30.0%

CA-28 – Winner: Adam B. Schiff (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Adam B. Schiff (D): 72.8%
Eric Early (R): 27.2%

CA-29 – Winner: Tony Cardenas (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Tony Cardenas (D): 56.7%
Angélica María Dueñas (D): 43.3%

CA-30 – Winner: Brad Sherman (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, Ventura

Brad Sherman (D): 69.9%
Mark S. Reed (R): 30.4%

CA-31 – Winner: Pete Aguilar (D)

Counties: San Bernardino

Pet Aguilar (D): 61.2%
Agnes Gibboney (R): 38.8%

CA-32 – Winner: Grace Napolitano (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Grace Napolitano (D): 66.6%
Joshua M. Scott (R): 33.4%

CA-33 – Winner: Ted W. Lieu (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Ted W. Lieu (D): 67.7%
James P. Bradley (R): 32.3%

CA-34 – Winner: Jimmy Gomez (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Jimmy Gomez (D): 53.0%
David Kim (D): 47.0%

CA-35 – Winner: Norma J. Torres (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino

Norma J. Torres (D): 69.1%
Mike Cargile (R): 30.9%

CA-36 – Winner: Raul Ruiz (D)

Counties: Riverside

Raul Ruiz (D): 60.8%
Erin Cruz (R): 39.2%

CA-37 – Winner: Karen Bass (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Karen Bass (D): 86.0%
Errol Webber (R): 14.0%

CA-38 – Winner: Linda T. Sánchez (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, Orange

Linda T. Sánchez (D): 74.3%
Michael Tolar (R): 25.7%

CA-39 – Too Close to Call

Counties: San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles

Gil Cisneros entered congress in 2018 as part of the Blue Wave which swept Orange County in particular. But now, his Republican opponent Young Kim, a former state assembly member, appears likely to have narrowly overtaken him.

Gil Cisneros (D): 49.4%
Young Kim (R): 50.6%

CA-40 – Winner: Lucille Roybal-Allard (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Lucille Roybal-Allard (D): 72.9%
C. Antonio Delgado (R): 27.1%

CA-41 – Winner: Mark Takano (D)

Counties: Riverside

Mark Takano (D): 63.7%
Aja Smith (R): 36.3%

CA-42 – Winner: Ken Calvert (R)

Counties: Riverside

William “Liam” O’Mara (D): 43.2%
Ken Calvert (R): 56.8%

CA-43– Winner: Maxine Waters (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Maxine Waters (D): 71.7%
Joe E. Collins III (R): 28.3%

CA-44 – Winner: Nanette Diaz Barragan (D)

Counties: Los Angeles

Nanette Diaz Barragan (D): 68.0%
Analilia Joya (D): 32.0%

CA-45 – Winner: Katie Porter (D)

Counties: Orange

Katie Porter (D): 53.5%
Greg Raths (R): 46.5%

CA-46 – Winner: Lou Correa (D)

Counties: Orange

Lou Correa (D): 68.8%
James S. Waters (R): 31.2%

CA-47 – Winner: Alan Lowenthal (D)

Counties: Los Angeles, Orange

Alan Lowenthal (D): 63.3%
John Briscoe (R): 36.7%

CA-48 – Winner: Michelle Steel (R)

Counties: Orange

Another example of the fragility of Orange County’s 2018 Blue Wave, Democrat Harley Rouda narrowly lost to Michelle Steel. Steel, currently a member of the O.C. Board of Supervisors, successfully flipped the seat back into Republican control.

Rouda is among a group of House Democrats who lost in swing districts this year, sparking friction within the party. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other leaders of the party’s progressive faction have laid some of the blame for the losses on conservative policies and ineffective online strategy. Rouda stated in July that he and Ocasio-Cortez “don’t agree on much.”

Harley Rouda (D): 49.0%
Michelle Steel (R): 51.0%

CA-49 – Winner: Mike Levin (D)

Counties: Orange, San Diego

Mike Levin (D): 53.2%
Brian Maryott (R): 46.8%

CA-50 – Winner: Darrell Issa

Counties: Riverside, San Diego

Darrell Issa represented the CA-49 in Congress from 2003 to 2019. Replaced by Democrat Mike Levin, Issa took a brief break, and came back this year to run one district over. He fills the seat vacated by Republican Duncan D. Hunter, who was indicted on multiple federal corruption charges.

Ammar Campa-Najjar (D): 46.0%
Darrell Issa (R): 54.0%

CA-51 – Winner: Juan C. Vargas (D)

Counties: Imperial, San Diego

Juan C. Vargas (D): 68.7%
Juan M. Hidalgo, Jr. (R): 31.3%

CA-52 – Winner: Scott Peters (D)

Counties: San Diego

Scott Peters (D): 61.6%
Jim DeBello (R): 38.4%

CA-53 – Winner: Sara Jacobs (D)

Counties: San Diego

Sara Jacobs, currently 31, will be the youngest member of California’s delegation. Jacobs replaces Democrat Susan Davis who served for 10 consecutive terms before announcing her retirement.

Sara Jacobs (D): 59.58%
Georgette Gómez (D): 40.5%

RELATED: Election 2020

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