November 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 15
It takes 218 seats to control the House. With the
addition of the latest California results, Republicans
have locked down 218 seats so far with Democrats
claiming 211.
In another key race in the state, Democratic Rep. Mike
Levin beat back a tough challenge from Republican
businessman Brian Maryott in a Southern California
district that straddles Orange and San Diego counties.
With nearly all the votes counted, Levin had 52.65%,
to 47.4% for Maryott.
Levin said he was eager to return to Washington to
continue working on affordable health care, climate
change and assistance for veterans. Biden traveled to
the district in the election's closing days in hopes of
giving Levin a boost.
Garcia's win, which gave Republicans House control,
came with a splash of political sass, arriving in a state
so solidly Democratic that a Republican hasn't won a
statewide race since 2006. It is also home to House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. California is
known nationally as a liberal monolith, but pockets of
conservative strength remain, mainly in the Southern
California suburbs and rural and farming stretches.
But even with the wins, Republicans will remain
a small minority within the state's congressional
delegation.
Of the state's 52 seats — the largest delegation in
Congress — GOP candidates had captured just
nine as of Wednesday. Counting continued in five
districts, although one was a matchup between two
Democrats.
Smith, a former legislator, had argued Garcia was
out of step with district voters: He was endorsed by
then-President Trump in 2020, then joined House
Republicans who rejected electoral votes from
Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Trump's
impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. She also
highlighted Garcia's opposition to abortion rights.
Garcia emphasized his military service and pointed
to his vote supporting $2,000 stimulus checks as
one example of his political independence. He's also
stressed local issues, including concern over illegal
marijuana cultivation.
In California, the primary House battlegrounds are
Orange County — a suburban expanse southeast of
Los Angeles that was once a GOP stronghold but has
become increasingly diverse and Democratic — and
the Central Valley, an inland stretch sometimes called
the nation's salad bowl for its agricultural production.
The tightest remaining contest in the state emerged
in the Central Valley, where Democrat Adam Gray
seized a tissue-thin lead over Republican John Duarte
for an open seat in District 13.
Underscoring the closeness of the race, Gray's
campaign formed a committee to begin raising money
to finance a possible recount. The latest returns
showed Gray leading by 600 votes, with nearly 85%
of the ballots tabulated.
In Orange County, Democratic Rep. Katie Porter
was holding a nearly 3-point edge over Republican
Scott Baugh in one of the nation's marquee races.
Baugh had slashed her lead in half earlier this week,
but Porter, a star of the party's progressive wing,
rebounded. About 90% of the votes had been counted.
In the Central Valley's 22nd District, where about twothirds
of the votes have been counted, Republican
Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach then-
President Donald Trump, had a 5.6-point margin
over Democrat Rudy Salas.