Republican-turned-independent Rep. Kevin Kiley and former Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan advanced to the November election Tuesday in a Northern California congressional district, while a progressive Democrat advanced to face Republican Rep. David Valadao in a Central Valley one. The races set up significant tests of whether Democrats' redrawing of California's House maps will pay off for the party, reports the AP. Several other major House races also were set Tuesday as California's protracted vote count from the state's June 2 primary ground on. Two Republicans will face each other in a Southern California House district drawn to end one of their careers. And a Sacramento seat will become a high-profile generational clash between two Democrats.
But the most attention was on two districts in the vast midsection of the state that will help determine whether Democrats can claim victory in California's role in the mid-decade redistricting wars:
- A perennial GOP target in the Central Valley: Progressive Randy Villegas, a political science professor, on Tuesday beat the favored pick of establishment Democrats, moderate Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, to advance to the November election against Valadao, a perennial target whose district Democrats redrew to shift further to the left. Republicans had hoped to face Villegas.
- An independent in Democrats' way: Dems broke up Kiley's conservative Northern California district, so the congressman opted to run in the new, Democratic-leaning district, left the GOP, and became a vocal opponent of partisan redistricting. "This race will be a choice between the extreme partisan politics that have made California the most unaffordable state in the country, and the independent leadership that allows our local communities to thrive," Kiley said.
- GOP on GOP: In more fallout from redistricting, Republican Rep. Young Kim on Tuesday advanced to the November election. She will face Republican Rep. Ken Calvert after Democrats drew them both into a single district, guaranteeing that one would not return to Congress next year.
- Dem on Dem: A major generational Democratic clash was set up Tuesday as Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang advanced to face longtime Rep. Doris Matsui. The 81-year-old congresswoman has held the Sacramento-based seat since the death of her husband, former Rep. Bob Matsui, in 2005. Vang, 41, is one of a slew of Democrats nationwide mounting a generational challenge in the wake of Joe Biden's presidency. "People are tired of leaders who answer to their biggest donors instead of the families they represent," Vang said.
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