When the polls close at 8 p.m. local time Tuesday, all eyes will be on California.
There are six races in the state that could decide control of the House. Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats to take control, and they are focused on the several GOP congressional districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In the 25th Congressional District, covering parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, "pragmatic progressive" Katie Hill is hoping to unseat Rep. Steve Knight (R), a former police officer and Army veteran. Knight often votes along party lines, while Hill is calling for new tax cuts for the middle class.
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In the 39th District, Republican Young Kim and Democrat Gil Cisneros are vying to replace outgoing Rep. Ed Royce (R). Kim, an immigrant from South Korea, worked for Royce for two decades. Cisneros won the lottery in 2010, and became a prominent Democratic donor. In this Orange County district, about a fifth of registered voters are Asian Americans.
Two other Orange County races to watch: the 45th and 48th Districts. Rep. Mimi Walters (R) represents the 45th but doesn't live there. Her opponent, University of California Irvine law professor Katie Porter, supports single-payer health care and tax cuts for the middle class. In the 48th, 15-term incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) — dubbed "Putin's favorite congressman" — is running against Harley Rouda, a real estate investor and former independent.
The 49th District is now represented by Rep. Darrell Issa (R); Republican Diane Harkey and Democratic environmental lawyer Mike Levin are running to replace Issa. The district primarily covers northern San Diego County, plus a part of southern Orange County.
Finally, the 50th Congressional District encompasses parts of San Diego and Riverside counties. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R), elected in 2008, was indicted over the summer by a federal grand jury, accused of misusing campaign funds. His opponent, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, worked in the Obama Labor Department and for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
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