House seats at stake as California holds primaries

If Democrats win 23 districts from Republicans, they win control of the House in midterm elections, and Tuesday’s California primary offers them some of the best opportunities to steal seats. In California’s jungle primary system, every candidate from both parties is on the ballot. Only the top two vote-getters advance to the November elections, so one party can shut out the other from the race. Republicans hold just 14 of the state’s 53 House districts, and seven of those districts voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. But some Democratic seats are also considered vulnerable, too, according to Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. President Donald Trump on Tuesday stumped for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield via Twitter. “Get out the vote in California today for Rep. Kevin McCarthy and all of the great GOP candidates for Congress,” Trump tweeted. “Keep our country out of the hands of High Tax, High Crime [Democratic Rep.] Nancy Pelosi.” The race to replace departing Gov. Jerry Brown could also turn into a Democratic shutout. And San Francisco voters will choose a new mayor using a ranking technique that has led to some creative campaigning. Primary races take place in a handful of other states Tuesday, including Alabama, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and South Dakota.