Can Democrats Win in the Legislature?

from Yue Stella YuCalMatters

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California Democrats are targeting a handful of vulnerable state GOP lawmakers in hopes of flipping their seats blue.

What are their chances? Tuesday’s election results will offer an early clue.

Hostile Republicans from Sacramento to San Diego drew a crowded field of Democratic contenders. The primary, in which the top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party, will decide which Democrats face those GOP incumbents in November.

Democrats in these competitive districts are counting on President Donald Trump’s declining popularity and the impact of his policies — mainly high tariffs, immigration crackdowns and the war on Iran — to hurt Republicans. To fend off challenges, GOP incumbents have tried to keep Trump’s name at bay while appealing to their base of loyal Trump supporters.

In Riverside County, expect a rematch between Assemblymember Leticia CastilloCorona Republican and Riverside Democratic City Councilwoman Clarissa Cervantes, who narrowly lost two years ago despite amassing significant military funds. Tonight’s election will likely foreshadow the results in November when the two meet again for a final match.

In the Coachella Valley, three Democrats are vying to unseat a GOP Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez at Coachella, which has hosted more moderate outlook on immigration than his fellow Republicans. Similarly, in three other purple counties, from northern Sacramento County to Orange County, tonight’s election will test Republican popularity.

Democrats are also playing defense in Southern California: Sen. Katherine BlakespearDemocrat from Encinitas, faces Republican challenger Laura Bassett tonight in San Diego County’s district draw.

In some of the bluest corners of California, Democrats vying for open seats are fighting each other to break through. In the Southern California coastal region that includes Malibu and Santa Monica, a half-dozen Democrats are vying to succeed Sen. Ben Allenwho is running for insurance commissioner. In Los Angeles, a fierce five-way race has divided some of the most powerful unions and Democratic groups to replace a Democratic Assembly member Mike Gipsonwho will leave by the end of the year.

In San Diego, the race to replace GOP Sen. Brian Joneswho is also retiring, is a battle between two Republican factions that offers a glimpse into the party’s future direction: Will a moderate Jones-backed San Marcos City Council member be more palatable than a far-right arsonist? We’ll find out.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.