California Midterms: Two House Seats Flip Democratic
Marni von Wilpert and Randy Villegas defeated long-time Republican incumbents in the 48th and 22nd districts.
By Sanjay Caldwell ·
California lost two U.S. House seats to Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm elections. These were the first flips from the Republican Party in these districts since the 2000s.
The changes followed a new map drawn under Proposition 50. The redistricting favored Democratic candidates in several southern California areas.
In the 48th District, Democrat Marni von Wilpert defeated Jim Desmond. Von Wilpert serves on the San Diego City Council. Desmond is the former mayor of San Marcos. The Associated Press called the race after von Wilpert received approximately 59.5 percent of the vote. Desmond received 40.5 percent.
Republican Darrell Issa had endorsed Desmond. Issa retired after serving 12 nonconsecutive terms in the House. He first won a seat in 2000. His home base is in northern San Diego County.
The new boundaries for the 48th District added Vista, San Marcos, parts of Oceanside, and portions of Palm Springs. The district lost Poway, Ramona, Santee, and Lakeside. The old map included Bonsall, Fallbrook, and Temecula.
In the 22nd District, Democrat Randy Villegas defeated incumbent David G. Valadao. Villegas is a political science professor. The Associated Press projected his victory with 57 percent of votes counted. Villegas won 66.4 percent of the vote. Valadao won 33.6 percent.
Valadao served six terms in Congress. He represented the southern Central Valley for 13 years. The new map for the 22nd District includes parts of Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern counties. It added a small section of Fresno and the eastern part of Bakersfield.
Cal Matters noted that the loss proved progressive ideas like Medicare for All can appeal to swing voters in the Central Valley. Only two of California’s 52 congressional districts remain Republican at this time. Districts 5 and 40 are the only GOP seats left.
