{"id":2610293,"date":"2026-06-03T17:50:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-californias-vulnerable-republicans-fared-during-primary\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T17:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:56:00","slug":"how-californias-vulnerable-republicans-fared-during-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-californias-vulnerable-republicans-fared-during-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"How California&#8217;s vulnerable Republicans fared during primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-californias-vulnerable-republicans-fared-during-primary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2610293&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>California voters on Tuesday began a set of high-stakes House contests in five newly redrawn congressional districts. The races are playing out under California\u2019s top-two primary system, where the two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ca-democratic-party-chairman-tells-trailing-gubernatorial-candidates-to-drop\/\" title=\"CA Democratic Party chairman tells trailing gubernatorial ...s to drop\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-considers-ranked-choice-voting-in-primaries-despite-disasters-in-alaska-and-maine\/\" title=\"Utah Considers Ranked-Choice Voting In Primaries Despite Disasters In Alaska And Maine\">highest vote-getters<\/a> advance<\/a> to November regardless of party, and both Democrats and Republicans are monitoring whether thier preferred candidates can survive crowded fields.<\/p>\n<p>Early results suggested Democrats are positioned to advance candidates in the districts they targeted moast aggressively following last year\u2019s redistricting.That map was pushed by Gov. Gavin newsom and Democrats through Proposition 50, which Democrats say was intended to make the state\u2019s congressional seats more favorable to them. Because California counts many mail-in ballots after Election Day, some results were still undecided Wednesday, including in the 6th District-where a fully democratic outcome is still not assured.<\/p>\n<p>Several of the original GOP targets from the redistricting fight have changed as the maps were drawn: Doug LaMalfa died, Kevin Kiley left the Republican Party for no party affiliation while still caucusing with Republicans, Darrell Issa retired, and Ken Calvert switched to the 40th District rather than staying where he was originally targeted. As a result, David Valadao is the main remaining GOP holdover from the initial group facing heavy Democratic investment.<\/p>\n<p>District-by-district, the article reports:  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; **1st District:** Assemblyman James Gallagher (R) won the special election to finish LaMalfa\u2019s term and also advanced with another candidate to the November general election.  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; **6th District:** Kiley is running in a much more competitive race and Nicholas Pan trails closely as votes continue to be counted; the leading margin is extremely tight.  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; **22nd District:** Valadao advanced, but the race was too close to determine which Democratic candidate would join him.  <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; **40th District:** Calvert won his primary and will go to November if he holds off threats from a Democratic challenger,while his status as a longtime Republican incumbent is complicated by a hard-fought,personal primary.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; **48th District:** Issa\u2019s retirement opened the seat,with Republicans and Democrats each advancing to face off in November.<\/p>\n<p>the outcome of these primaries could set the stage for some of the most nationalized House races in the contry, with Democrats aiming to convert redistricting advantages into November congressional gains.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>LOS ANGELES\u00a0\u2014<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\">California<\/a> voters on Tuesday took the first step in what could become the most consequential <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/house\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"1250\">House<\/a> battleground fights\u00a0in the country, casting ballots in five newly redrawn congressional districts that Democrats view as critical to their effort to\u00a0reclaim the chamber.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The races are unfolding against the backdrop of California\u2019s top-two primary system, which sends the two highest vote-getters to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">general election<\/a> regardless of party. That structure has left both parties closely watching whether their preferred candidates can survive crowded primary fields and advance to November.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4576195\/house-clears-resolution-to-rein-in-trumps-war-powers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump suffers defeat as four House Republicans back removing U.S. from hostilities with Iran<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4593871\/sunny-hostin-says-would-hold-nose-pull-lever-vote-platner\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Sunny Hostin says she would \u2018hold her nose, pull that lever, and vote Platner\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4593766\/dan-sullivan-alaska-senate-ballot-middle-initials\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Two Dan Sullivans running for Alaska Senate to be identified on ballot with middle initials<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats have high hopes in the five districts that were redrawn last year after Proposition 50, a controversial ballot initiative backed by\u00a0Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA) and state Democrats, passed. The measure\u00a0reconfigured the state\u2019s congressional districts to give Democrats an advantage ahead of the\u00a0midterm elections. The outgoing\u00a0governor, who is term-limited and widely expected to run for president in 2028, had framed the fight as one for the very soul of democracy. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because California accepts and counts large numbers of mail-in ballots after Election Day, final results were not immediately available. Several of the closely watched contests remained undecided Wednesday afternoon as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >election officials continued tabulating votes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, early returns suggested Democrats were on track to advance candidates in the districts they have targeted most\u00a0aggressively, preserving their opportunity to compete in a set of races expected to draw national attention and millions of dollars in spending before November. However, in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#6\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#6\">6th Congressional District\u2019s race<\/a>, there remains the possibility of a Democratic shutout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The five California House Republicans targeted by last year\u2019s redistricting effort were the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa and\u00a0Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kevin-kiley\/\">Kevin Kiley<\/a> in Northern California,\u00a0Reps. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/darrell-issa\/\">Darrell Issa<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4590386\/california-40th-congressional-district-primary-result-ken-calvert-young-kim\/\">Ken Calvert<\/a> in Southern California, and Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/david-valadao\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"6912\">David Valadao<\/a> in the Central Valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The political landscape has shifted significantly since the maps were reshaped. LaMalfa died in office; Kiley left the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-party\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"514\">Republican Party<\/a> to become an independent (though he still votes Republican), Issa retired, and Calvert opted to run in a different district against a fellow Republican incumbent. That leaves Valadao as the lone remaining GOP target from the original group, facing what is expected to be a difficult reelection campaign in a district where national Democrats have already begun investing heavily. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a closer look at where things stand: <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-1st-district\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1st district<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-CA) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-special-general-results-us-house-district-1-\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-special-general-results-us-house-district-1-\/\">won the special election<\/a> to succeed LaMalfa, who died at age 65 following complications during emergency surgery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With roughly 55% of the vote counted by early Wednesday, Gallagher avoided a runoff and secured the seat in the heavily Republican 1st Congressional District, according to the <em>Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gallagher, who previously served as the Assembly Republican leader, will complete the remainder of LaMalfa\u2019s term. His victory restores another seat to the GOP conference as Republicans work with a razor-thin House majority. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The election also determined <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#1\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#1\">who would advance<\/a> to the November general election: Gallagher and former state Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/special-elections\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4934\">special election<\/a> was conducted using the district\u2019s previous boundaries, the political terrain Gallagher faces this fall will be considerably less favorable. The newly configured district presents a more challenging electoral map, setting up what is expected to be a far more competitive reelection bid. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-6th-district\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">6th district<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A razor-thin margin separated the leading candidates in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#6\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#6\">newly redrawn 6th district<\/a>, leaving the Democratic contender narrowly in third place as votes continue to be counted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kiley,\u00a0who switched party affiliation from Republican to independent earlier this year,\u00a0has emerged as one of the loudest critics of California\u2019s mid-decade congressional <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/redistricting\/\">remap<\/a>, accusing Democrats of redrawing the map to weaken GOP incumbents. He has also voiced frustration with House leadership \u2014 including\u00a0Speaker <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) and\u00a0Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hakeem-jeffries\/\">Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> (D-NY) \u2014 for failing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kevin-kileys-two-front-fight-against-redistricting-while-defending-seat\/\" title=\"Kevin Kiley&#039;s two-front fight against ... while defending seat\">advance federal legislation<\/a> to curb partisan redistricting. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kiley, a former high school English teacher, had represented California\u2019s 3rd district,\u00a0a conservative-leaning area that is also\u00a0the state\u2019s most geographically diverse. The new 3rd district was split into six factions, and Kiley has said he would not run in it. Instead, he ran in the redrawn 6th\u00a0Congressional District, centered in the Sacramento area.\u00a0It\u2019s forced\u00a0Kiley into a far more competitive race. Instead of seeking safer Republican territory, he chose to stay in his district and re-register as \u201cNo Party Preference\u201d while continuing to caucus with Republicans in Congress. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of 5 p.m. Eastern Wednesday, he was leading the race, with Republican Michael Stansfield in second place, with Democrat Richard Pan hot on his heels.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-22nd-district\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">22nd district <\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Valadao, a centrist Republican who was first elected to Congress in 2012, has been a long-sought target for Democrats, who have held a sizable registration advantage in his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#22\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#22\">22nd district<\/a>. Valadao had emphasized his support for immigration reform in the past, only to be voted out of office when the blue wave of 2018 hit. He won it back in 2020. Two years ago, he kept his seat in a hard-fought race, making him one of two\u00a0House\u00a0Republicans who supported the impeachment of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> and still held their seats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has advanced to the November runoff, but the race is too close to call for the Democratic candidate who will likely join him. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-40th-district\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">40th district <\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calvert, who had represented the 41st district before it was carved up, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#40\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#40\">switched to the 40th<\/a>, where he faced incumbent Rep. Young Kim (R-CA). Calvert was declared the winner of the primary race, but the second-place winner has not been called. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The campaign for the state\u2019s 40th Congressional District has been a bruising, and at times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calvert-advances-in-california-40th-congressional-district-primary-battle\/\" title=\"... advances in California ... ... battle\">deeply personal primary<\/a>. If Kim holds off the Democratic challenger, two Republicans would head into the general election to determine which incumbent keeps their seat in Congress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California\u2019s 40th Congressional District is\u00a0a sprawling region southeast of Los Angeles that stretches across Orange County suburbs, parts of Riverside County, and mountain communities along the Santa Ana range. Once considered competitive territory, the district was transformed into safe Republican ground after Democratic mapmakers packed it with conservative voters siphoned from neighboring GOP seats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calvert, 72, is the longest-serving Republican in California\u2019s congressional delegation. He has spent 33 years in Congress, survived two rounds of redistricting, and says he is not intimidated by another political fight, especially against Kim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim said\u00a0Calvert had\u00a0his time in office to prove himself and failed. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-48th-district\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">48th district<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Issa announced his retirement after California\u2019s new map drew him and his mother out of his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#48\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/california-primary-results-us-house\/#48\">San Diego district<\/a>, which had been a Republican stronghold. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4593766\/dan-sullivan-alaska-senate-ballot-middle-initials\/\">TWO DAN SULLIVANS RUNNING FOR ALASKA SENATE TO BE IDENTIFIED ON BALLOT WITH MIDDLE INITIALS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Competing to succeed him are Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who secured endorsements from both Issa and Trump, and Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego city councilwoman. Both candidates advanced from Tuesday\u2019s primary and will face off in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats had worried that a split vote between von Wilpert and fellow Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar could pave the way for two Republicans to claim the top two spots, effectively locking the party out of the general election. Those concerns ultimately did not materialize.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California voters began key House races in five redrawn districts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2610294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/california-redistricting-primary-e1780521373362.jpg?1780507055&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4045,32321,9973,3756,69621],"class_list":["post-2610293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-california","tag-election-results","tag-primaries","tag-republicans","tag-vulnerable-incumbents"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/california-redistricting-primary-e1780521373362.jpg?1780507055&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2610293"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2610306,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610293\/revisions\/2610306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2610294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2610293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2610293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2610293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}