49th Congressional District
Republican Diane Harkey: 45.1%
Democrat Mike Levin: 54.9%
100% of precincts reporting
UPDATED: 11:23 a.m., Nov. 12, 2018
UPDATE: 12:54 p.m., November 11, 2018
Democrat Mike Levin grabs seat of retiring California Republican U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa.
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The results remained tight Wednesday in the race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Darrell Issa in the 49th congressional district.
There was a time when talk of Democratic candidates seriously competing for House seats in the heart of Orange County would have been taken as a joke. After all, the county was once home to Richard Nixon and considered conservative holy ground.
But demographics have shifted along with the county's politics, and two seats being vacated by Issa and Republican Rep. Ed Royce gave Democrats an opening.
In Issa's closely divided 49th District, Republican Diane Harkey, who sits on a state tax board, was trailing environmental attorney Mike Levin by about 5 points with 117,000 votes tallied.
Harkey was endorsed by Trump, but Levin attempted to turn that endorsement against her in a state where the president is unpopular.
Democrats, who hold a 39-14 advantage in California's congressional delegation, targeted seven GOP districts in the state carried by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
The California battlegrounds range from Central Valley farmland to legendary surfing spots in Orange County and horse country north of Los Angeles. A torrent of money has flooded districts, with outside groups dumping over $10 million into several contests.
Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao turned back a tough challenge in his farm-belt district while several other California GOP House members were in tight races.
Democrats, who hold a 39-14 advantage in California's congressional delegation, targeted seven GOP districts in the state carried by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
The California battlegrounds range from Central Valley farmland to legendary surfing spots in Orange County and horse country north of Los Angeles. A torrent of money has flooded districts, with outside groups dumping over $10 million into several contests.
Valadao persevered in the Central Valley, despite a 16-point Democratic registration edge in the 21st District, while Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steven Knight and Jeff Denham were in races that were too close to call.
In Royce's 39th District, Republican Young Kim was holding an 8-point edge over Democrat Gil Cisneros, with about 110,000 votes counted. If elected, Kim would become the first Korean-American immigrant woman elected to the House. The former state legislator worked for Royce for years and has positioned herself as a Trump supporter with an independent streak.
Cisneros, a first-time candidate who won a $266 million lottery jackpot, was looking for a big turnout from Hispanics who make up about a third of the population.
