The Democratic Congressional Committee is openly frightened about the special House election in California's open 25th District (Los Angeles County) May 12, after early results Tuesday.
With nearly all of the early vote-by-mail ballots in, a whopping 44.8% of voters who requested ballots were Republicans. In striking contrast, only 35.3% of the early voters were Democrats.
(The remainder were "Declined to State," which is Californian for independent or no-preference voters).
"Our stomachs just dropped at the latest news in the special election in California," read a terse mail from the DCCC to its contributors.
The concession conservative Republican Mike Garcia might just pick up the seat resigned by Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., last year came in the subsequent appeal for funds later in the message: "We only have six days to turn things around in this critical special election."
The appeal for funds came on the heels of a strong endorsement of Democratic State Assemblywoman Christy Smith by former President Barack Obama.
In the initial balloting March 3, Garcia, a decorated former Navy pilot and small businessman, drew 28% of the vote to 33% for Smith. What raised eyebrows in both parties was Garcia's fellow Republican and former Rep. Steve Knight, who was unseated by Hill in 2018, placed third with 18%.
Coupled with the votes of minor GOP candidates, about half the votes cast in the initial contest in March were for Republicans.
Another DCCC appeal for California-25 cites The New York Times story calling the race a "referendum" on President Trump and warning Trump and his allies could "steal" the race—although it never never quite explains how the "stealing" would be accomplished.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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