Hundreds of ballots were being counted at a new processing center in the City of Industry Wednesday morning. NBC4’s John Cádiz Klemack reports on March 6, 2024.
What to Know
- A handful of competitive races in Southern California could go a long way toward determining control of the U.S. House in November.
- California is one of 16 states and a U.S. territory that are part of Super Tuesday.
- In most races on the California primary ballot, the top two candidates will advance to a run-off in the November General Election.
Several Southern California races that could tip control of the U.S. House in November were part of Super Tuesday, the biggest day of the country's primary election season.
Republicans hold a 219-213 edge in the House of Representatives with three vacancies, making the March 5 California Primary a high-stakes stage-setter for the General Election in November. The top two finishers in the California Primary advance to the November run-off, regardless of party affiliation.
All 52 congressional seats in California had primary elections on Tuesday.
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Click here for California primary results
While Democrats hold every major statewide office and outnumber registered Republicans in California 2 to 1, there are pockets of strong support for Republican candidates in parts of Southern California. Adding to the uncertainty, low turnout and the five California Republicans representing districts that President Biden won in 2020, according to calculations from Daily Kos Elections.
The official outcome likely won't be known for days, possibly even weeks as the vote count continues. About 22 million vote-by-mail ballots were sent to registered voters in California for the Super Tuesday election. Although only a small fraction of them will be returned in the primary election, county elections offices will still need to count millions of ballots statewide.
The first results are usually ballots received before Election Day, whether they were mailed back or dropped off at a drop box or vote center. The process of opening and processing those ballots can begin up to 29 days before Election Day.
Those results can't be made public until polls close.
In-person votes cast over the previous 10 days are usually next, then day-of votes are counted throughout the night and beyond. Results are never final until the Secretary of State compiles statewide results and all counties have reported an official canvass of the vote.
Counties have 30 days to complete that canvass. That means counting every valid ballot and conducting a post-election audit. During that 30-day period, elections officials compare signatures on ballot envelopes to signatures on file. The Secretary of State is then required to certify results 38 days after the election.
Here are some key House races on the ballot and updated results.
U.S. House District 27
Rep. Mike Garcia won this district north of Los Angeles in 2022 by 6 percentage points over Democrat Christy Smith and held on to advance from the primary on Super Tuesday.
“Tonight's results are a testament to the fact that our mission and message is resonating with CA-27: Ensure the security of California families,” Garcia said in a statement.
George Whitesides, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic, was leading Steve Hill, no stranger to California congressional races, as the vote count continued.
U.S. House District 40
GOP Rep. Young Kim is serving a second term after winning the district two years ago by 14 percentage points. The district includes parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Kim will face Tustin Unified School District Board of Education President Allyson Muñiz Damikolas and former fire captain and union president Joe Kerr.
U.S. House District 41
This sprawling Congressional district in Riverside County appears headed for a rematch. Long-time Republican Rep. Ken Calvert was leading the race over Democrat Will Rollins. The two were separated by less than 5 percentage points in the 2022 election.
Calvert is the longest-serving Republican in the California congressional delegation, having held his seat in this district east of Los Angeles since 1993. Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, gets another chance to unseat the incumbent in November. Rollins, who is gay, could garner significant support in the city of Palm Springs, which has a sizeable LGBTQ+ population.
Palm Springs has been added to this district since the last election.
U.S. House District 45
Rep. Michelle Steel easily advanced from the primary in her race against four Democrats.
Her opponents include Garden Grove city council member Kim Nguyen-Penaloza and Derek Tran, a veteran and consumer rights attorney. They appeared to be in a closed fight for runner-up and a place on the November election ballot.
District 45, which re-elected Steel with 52.4% of the vote in 2022, includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.
U.S. House District 47
This once solidly Republican district that stretches from Huntington and Newport beaches on the Orange County coast inland to Irvine is the only open House seat among California's most competitive races. The seat was vacated by Katie Porter, who is running for Senate.
Scott Baugh, who lost to Porter by less than 4 percentage points in 2022, and Democratic state Sen. Dave Min appeared to be heading to a runoff. give it another try. Min was endorsed by Porter.
Also running are Joanna Weiss, an attorney and activist. Business owner Max Ukropina also will be on the ballot.
Min's arrest on suspicion of DUI last year prompted criticism from both Democrats and Republicans in the race. He pleaded no contest on Aug. 29 in Sacramento County Superior Court to driving under the influence of alcohol above the legal limit of 0.08. He called his decision to drink and drive "irresponsible."
The district had been represented by Republicans from the time it was created until Porter defeated then-Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018.
U.S. House District 49
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Levin has advanced to defend his seat in this Southern California district that includes portions of Orange and San Diego counties.
It’s not yet clear who he will face in November.
California’s coastal districts tend to lean Democratic, but Republicans believe they have a chance to oust Levin. Republican Matt Gunderson, an auto dealer, was leading a trio of other GOP challengers.
Voters chose Levin in 2018 to replace longtime Republican Darrell Issa, who has since returned to Congress in a neighboring district. Levin has since been reelected twice — by six points in 2020 and 5 points in 2022.
“I think we’ve built the best ground operation of any congressional campaign in the United States,” Levin said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Other Southern California U.S. House Super Tuesday elections
In the predominantly Democratic 30th Congressional District, 12 Democrats, two Republicans, and one candidate with no party preference are running to succeed Senate candidate Adam Schiff.
Democrats on the ballot include former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer; state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge; Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale; Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member Nick Melvoin; West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne; Jirair Ratevosian, a former State Department official; and actor Ben Savage.
The district stretches from West Hollywood to Pasadena and Echo Park to the Angeles National Forest.
In the northeast San Fernando Valley, the 29th Congressional District election includes Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, D-North Hollywood; community organizer Angélica María Dueñas, and Republican Benito "Benny" Bernal, a family and youth advocate. Retiring Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Pacoima, has endorsed Luz Rivas
In the 31st Congressional District, representing the San Gabriel Valley, retiring Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Norwalk, has endorsed Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera. Former Rep. Gil Cisneros, who from 2019-21 represented the then-39th District, which ran from Walnut in the north to Chino Hills in the east, Hacienda Heights in the west and Fullerton in the south, and Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, are among the five other Democrats on the ballot. Mary Ann Lutz, a member of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, workers' rights advocate Greg Hafif and health care advocate and businessman Kurt Jose are the other Democrats on the ballot.
Two Republicans are on the ballot -- clinical psychologist Pedro Antonio Casas and lawyer/entrepreneur/educator Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez -- along with two candidates without a party preference, teacher Erskine Levi and commissioner Marie Manvel.
City News Service contributed to this report.
