California US House races could help 攻撃する 力／強力にする in 議会

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - California´s 最初の／主要な on Tuesday will 始める，決める the 行う／開催する／段階 for a November 選挙 where a handful of U.S. House seats in the Los Angeles area and Central Valley will help 決定する which party 支配（する）／統制するs 議会.

民主党員s 支配する California politics but the 共和国の／共和党の Party 保持するs pockets of strength in a ぱらぱら雨 of House 地区s that will be の中で the country´s marquee 選挙s. 共和国の／共和党のs need to 逮捕（する） only a handful of seats 国家的に to 掴む the 大多数 from 民主党員s and （衆議院の）議長 Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

Midterm 選挙s typically punish the party in the White House and 投票s show sagging 人気 for Democratic 大統領 Joe Biden. 投票者s have been rankled by インフレーション, rising 罪，犯罪, abortion 権利s and other cultural 論争s at home and 衝突 overseas.

While no 現職のs appear in 悲惨な trouble in California's 最初の／主要な it could be a different story in November. The main battlegrounds are Orange 郡, a one-time 保守的な 要塞／本拠地 southeast of Los Angeles that has become ますます diverse and Democratic, and the Central Valley, a 広大な inland stretch いつかs called the nation´s salad bowl for its 巨大な 農業の 生産／産物.

House 共和国の／共和党の leader Kevin McCarthy, from the Central Valley city of Bakersfield, could become the next （衆議院の）議長 if the GOP flips enough seats.

Former 大統領 Donald Trump has been でっちあげる，人を罪に陥れるing major contests in other 明言する／公表するs but has kept a distance from ひどく Democratic California, though some GOP 候補者s have 率直に embraced him in hopes of （電話線からの）盗聴 into 残余s of his 保守的な base.

FILE - In this image from ビデオ, Rep. マイク Levin, D-Calif., speaks on the 床に打ち倒す of the 衆議院 at the （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 in Washington on April 23, 2020. California is a ひどく Democratic 明言する／公表する, but the 共和国の／共和党の Party 保持するs pockets of strength in U.S. House 地区s that will be の中で the country's marquee 選挙s in the fight to 支配（する）／統制する 議会. (House Television 経由で AP, とじ込み／提出する)

民主党員s are looking to claw 支援する four seats the party lost in 2020. Also, a special 選挙 runoff is 存在 held to fill the 空いている seat of former 共和国の／共和党の Rep. Devin 修道女s, who 辞職するd to lead Trump's マスコミ company. The seat is 推定する／予想するd to stay in 共和国の／共和党の 支配（する）／統制する.

にもかかわらず the troubling 国家の 気候 for 民主党員s, the California 共和国の／共和党の Party has been drifting toward obscurity for years. The GOP 持つ／拘留するs only 10 of the 明言する／公表する´s 53 House seats - with the 修道女s vacancy - and accounts for いっそう少なく than 24% of 登録（する）d 投票者s statewide. California is dropping to 52 House seats next year because it's once-急に上がるing 全住民 growth has 立ち往生させるd.

A snapshot of 重要な races:

TRUMP IMPEACHMENT VOTE BRINGS UNCERTAINTY

Rep. David Valadao is a 生存者. にもかかわらず running in a ひどく Democratic, 大部分は Latino 地区 in the Central Valley, the 共和国の／共和党の with a bipartisan streak held his seat from 2013 until January 2019, lost it for a 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語, then won it 支援する in a 2020 rematch with 民主党員 T.J. Cox.

His newly drawn 地区, the 22nd, has a 類似の, strong Democratic 攻撃する. An 早期に challenge will be getting by ぐずぐず残る 憤慨 の中で some 保守的なs over his 投票（する） to send articles of 告発 to the 上院 that faulted Trump for the Jan. 6 （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 insurrection.

競争相手 共和国の／共和党の Chris Mathys, an ardent Trump 支持者, is 約束ing to 追い出す Valadao for that 投票（する）. But Trump has not 意味ありげに engaged in the race, and Valadao, a 酪農場 農業者, has the 支援 of McCarthy, who is の近くに to Trump, and the 明言する／公表する GOP 裏書，是認.

If he 生き残るs the 最初の／主要な, Valadao is likely to 直面する five-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a 穏健な 民主党員.

A REPUBLICAN LOOKING TO DEFY THE ODDS - AGAIN

Rep. マイク Garcia is an anomaly in the Los Angeles 主要都市の area: a 共和国の／共和党の 下院議員. He 占領するs the last GOP-held House seat 錨，総合司会者d in ひどく Democratic Los Angeles 郡, which he 保持するd in 2020 by a mere 333 投票（する）s.

The former 海軍 闘士，戦闘機 操縦する was 是認するd by Trump in 2020. He joined House 共和国の／共和党のs who 試みる／企てるd to 拒絶する 選挙（人）の 投票（する）s from Arizona and Pennsylvania and …に反対するd Trump's 告発 after the （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 insurrection.

Garcia is 捜し出すing reelection in the new 27th 地区, which overlaps a chunk of his old 地形 but has a stronger Democratic 攻撃する. Several 民主党員s are on the 投票（する）, 含むing Christy Smith, a former 立法議員 who lost to Garcia in 2020, and Quaye Quartey, a retired 海軍 知能 officer.

Garcia points to his 投票（する） supporting $2,000 刺激 checks as one example of his political indepe ndence. 民主党員s have a nearly 12-point 登録 辛勝する／優位, but Garcia's 地元の roots, 軍の service and Latino surname are formidable 資産s.

PROGRESSIVE STAR BATTLES IN FORMER `REAGAN COUNTRY´

Southern California's 47th 地区, which 含むs Huntington Beach and other famous surf breaks, is an area once considered "Reagan Country" for its 保守的な leanings and 関係 to former 共和国の／共和党の 大統領 Ronald Reagan. But it's changed, like much of California, and the Orange 郡 地区 is about 平等に 分裂（する） between 民主党員s and 共和国の／共和党のs.

The 境界s of the 地区 reach inland to 含む Irvine, the hometown of Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a 星／主役にする of the party´s 進歩／革新的な wing. Her 主要な 対抗者 is 共和国の／共和党の Scott Baugh, a former 明言する／公表する 法律を制定する leader and past 長，率いる of the 郡 GOP.

About two-thirds of the 投票者s in the newly drawn 地区 are new to Porter, and her challenge is enlisting them as 支持者s. She comes with an advantage: nearly $19 million in the bank, making her one of the most prolific fundraisers in 議会.

Baugh has been attacking her as a "過激な" in the mold of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a self-述べるd democratic 社会主義者. 民主党員s can be 推定する／予想するd to 最高潮の場面 a $47,900 civil 罰金 Baugh agreed to 支払う／賃金 in 1999 while in the 立法機関 for （選挙などの）運動をする 財政／金融 違反s.

A RIVALRY ON THE RIGHT

Rep. Young Kim, a South Korean 移民，移住（する） and former 立法議員, was の中で four California 共和国の／共和党のs who 逮捕（する）d Democratic seats in 2020. Running in the GOP-leaning 40th 地区 this year, it appeared she had a 比較して open 小道／航路 to reelection.

But her （選挙などの）運動をする and GOP 同盟（する）s recently 投資するd over $1 million in 広告s to blunt the trajectory of 競争相手 共和国の／共和党の Greg Raths, a retired 海洋 陸軍大佐 and Trump booster. It appeared to be a 予防の move, with Kim 是認するd by the 明言する／公表する GOP and 持つ／拘留するing a wide fundraising 辛勝する／優位 over Raths.

The 広告s also look like a counterweight to a move by t he 単独の 民主党員 on the 投票（する）, 内科医 Asif Mahmood, who ran 広告s 最高潮の場面ing Raths´ 保守的な 信任状. Mahmood appears to be に引き続いて a ありふれた 戦略 in trying to elevate a 最初の／主要な 競争相手 -- in this 事例／患者 Raths -- who 推定では would be easier to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 in the 総選挙.

PULLING NO PUNCHES IN DIVERSE DISTRICT

The 45th 地区 錨，総合司会者d in Orange 郡 has a slight Democratic 登録 辛勝する／優位 and 含むs the nation´s largest Vietnamese American community. The seat was 特に （手先の）技術d to give Asian Americans, who 構成する the largest group in the 地区, a stronger 発言する／表明する in 議会.

It´s in this diverse 地区 that 共和国の／共和党の Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean 移民，移住（する）, is hoping to 勝利，勝つ another 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 in 議会, although she lives in a 隣接地の 地区. It´s been a furious, at times 汚い fight so far with 民主党員 Jay Chen, her likely 対抗者 in a November runoff who also lives just outside the 地区.

共和国の／共和党のs （刑事）被告 Chen of "人種差別主義" after he told 支持者s an "interpreter" was needed to understand Steel´s 発言／述べるs, arguing that Chen was mocking her accented English. Chen, the son of 移民，移住（する）s from Taiwan, said his words were 存在 新たな展開d for political 目的s and he was referring to "convoluted talking points" that he said Steel uses to sidestep 問題／発行するs, not her accent.

GOP SEES POTENTIAL PICKUP

The 49th 地区 runs through Orange and San Diego 郡s and has only a slight Democratic 登録 辛勝する／優位. Rep. マイク Levin, a 民主党員, is 捜し出すing another 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 after first 逮捕（する）ing the seat in 2018.

As an 現職の he has an advantage, but 共和国の／共和党のs see an 開始 with 民主党員s struggling 国家的に and many Californians unhappy with homelessness and 罪，犯罪.

Levin is 推定する／予想するd to 前進する to the November runoff. A handful of 共和国の／共和党のs are fighting for the slot to challenge him in November, 含むing several with political experience: Orange 郡 監督者 Lisa Bartlett; Oceanside Councilman Christopher Rodriguez; and former San Juan Capistrano 市長 and 実業家 Brian Maryott, who was 敗北・負かすd by Levin in 2020 and has the 明言する／公表する GOP 裏書，是認.

In a 地区 that またがるs （軍の）野営地，陣営 Pendleton, Levin has 焦点（を合わせる）d ひどく on 退役軍人s 事件／事情／状勢s, 同様に as 気候 change and the 環境.

FILE - Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., arrives at the InStyle Awards at The Getty 中心 on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, in Los Angeles. California is a ひどく Democratic 明言する／公表する, but the 共和国の／共和党の Party 保持するs pockets of strength in U.S. House 地区s that will be の中で the country's marquee 選挙s in the fight to 支配（する）／統制する 議会. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, とじ込み／提出する)

FILE - Rep. マイク Garcia, R-Calif., 参加するs in a 儀式の 断言するing-in on （ワシントンの）連邦議会議事堂 Hill in Washington, on May 19, 2020. California is a ひどく Democratic 明言する／公表する, but the 共和国の／共和党の Party 保持するs pockets of strength in U.S. House 地区s that will be の中で the country's marquee 選挙s in the fight to 支配（する）／統制する 議会. Garcia is 捜し出すing reelection in the new 27th 地区, which overlaps a chunk of his old 地形 but has a stronger Democrati c 攻撃する. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, とじ込み／提出する)