These California districts voted big for Biden, but Republicans are optimistic about their chances in 2020
Democrats’ candidate in the state’s primary, former Vice President Joe Biden, beat President Trump in both the state’s Democratic primary and its open Senate race, securing the party’s second and third victories from California in the 2020 election cycle. But the Democratic Party has not won a state since 2004 ― and even that streak is endangered.
Democrats had a big turnout for Biden in California ― including major union turnout — but they’re hoping to pick up Democratic-won seats there in 2020. And they’re optimistic about their chances there in the fall if their primary and Senate wins serve as a “shockwave” to voters.
Biden’s victories over Trump in 2020 are significant because the Democrats were counting on their primary wins to flip the tables and propel them to a Senate majority on Tuesday. But they’ve been unable to flip the tables, partly because Republicans are running out the clock on their hopes for defeating Donald Trump in the presidential race.
(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Republicans are hoping they can hold the Senate and take back the House in the midterm elections, but they are also counting on Trump to have a “blue wave” in the November elections in the hopes that it will help them get the 60 votes they need for passage of their tax plan. They remain optimistic that they will be able to hold on to control of the Senate.
“We’re not as far behind in California as we were a week ago, which means the Democrats’ momentum is not slowing down,” said Jon Barela, a spokesman for the California Republican Party, which is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. “We hope that’s a trend that can be replicated across the country.”
California’s open seats, held by Democrats including Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, are at a “critical juncture” in the campaign, with Republicans “thinking this might actually be the last year that Democrats have the advantage in open spots in California,” said Matt House, a spokesman for the state Republican Party.
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