LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Republicans are trying to tap into voter frustration to win back a string of U.S. House districts the party lost two years ago. The GOP challengers are faulting the state’s dominant Democrats for high taxes, the homeless crisis and unrest in the streets. But President Donald Trump is leading the ticket and he's widely unpopular in the heavily Democratic state. Key races are in suburban Los Angeles, where Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia is battling Democrat Christy Smith in the 25th District, and a Central Valley rematch between freshman Democratic Congressman TJ Cox and Republican David Valadao in the 21st District. Cox won in 2018 by less than 1,000 votes.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2019, file photo, Rep. Devin Nunes, center, R-Calif., the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee; Rep. Jim Jordan, left, R-Ohio; and Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, talk during a break as the House Judiciary Committee considers the investigative findings in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Nunes represents California's 22nd District in the Central Valley. California’s tarnished Republican Party is hoping to rebound in a handful of U.S. House races but its candidates must overcome widespread loathing for President Donald Trump and voting trends that have made the nation’s most populous state an exemplar of Democratic strength. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Posted at 9:01 AM, Oct 04, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-04 15:56:53-04
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