Democratic real estate entrepreneur Harley Rouda has narrowly unseated Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), apparently ending his 30 years representing California's 48th Congressional District, The Associated Press projected on Saturday. Rohrabacher, a 71-year-old former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan best known for his outspoken support for Russia and legal marijuana, has not conceded the race, but Rouda has declared victory. Rouda, a 65-year-old former Republican, was Rohrabacher's first serious challenger in one of the most conservative districts in Orange County, the home of Richard Nixon, John Wayne, and in many ways the modern conservative movement.
California's 48th District still has a 10-point Republican voter advantage, but Rohrabacher's strong alignment with President Trump and vociferous defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin did not play well in the district. Rohrabacher, a former Cold Warrior, has been nicknamed "Putin's favorite congressman," and fellow California Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy was recorded saying in June 2016 that there are "two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump." (He later said he was joking.) "The Russian thing was ridiculous," Tony Quinn, demographer and California campaign analyst, tells the Los Angeles Times. "That didn't help him."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
3 officers killed in Pennsylvania shootingSpeed Read Police did not share the identities of the officers or the slain suspect, nor the motive or the focus of the still-active investigation
-
Fed cuts interest rates a quarter pointSpeed Read ‘The cut suggests a broader shift toward concern about cracks forming in the job market’
-
ABC shelves ‘Kimmel Live’ after Trump FCC threatSpeed Read ‘A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the president doesn’t like what they say’
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
