Michelle Steel

House Republicans need to pick up just four additional seats to secure control over the chamber, with 18 races remaining to be called.

The numbers so far 'represent a move to the right, but it's going to be a while before we know how far a move is taking place,' one analyst says.

The Presidency and Senate have resoundingly fallen into Republican hands – and while House control has yet to be decided, a Trump trifecta appears to be a very viable potential outcome.

Democrat George Whitesides holds a 2,114-vote lead over Rep. Mike Garcia in the 27th Congressional District race, according to figures released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

House Republicans claimed a mandate for their 2025 agenda and celebrated keeping their majority Thursday, even as they remain shy of the seats needed to officially secure continued control of the chamber in January. Why it matters: The jubilant tone of Republicans' first conference-wide call since Tuesday's elections underscores how confident Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other GOP leaders are that the battle for the House will break their way — an outcome that seemed unlikely just days ago.Votes are still being counted in 27 uncalled House races, but even Democrats admit that Republicans are on track to keep their majority in 2025.National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) told lawmakers on the call that he expected the GOP to win about a dozen more seats, one lawmaker told Axios.The big picture: Johnson lauded the party's efforts over the campaign cycle to make up a fundraising deficit with Democrats, another source on the call said.Johnson pointed out that he and his affiliated political action committee — the Congressional Leadership Fund — raised $300 million for House Republicans since he was named speaker just over a year ago, according to the source.Zoom in: House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) told members that the party was successful overall in New York, for instance, despite losing seats, in part because Democrats poured so much money into races in the Empire State with little success. "This is an overall win in New York for what Democrats spent," Stefanik said.Sources told Axios that California Rep. Ken Calvert predicted he'd retain his seat and that fellow California Republicans Michelle Steel and David Valadao's races "should be good' as well. What he's saying: Johnson told his members that Republicans — who also won control of the Senate and the White House — have a "mandate" to govern and called on them to unite behind a policy agenda. "We gotta execute these plays with precision in January as soon as we're handed the ball," Johnson said, according to a source on the call.

The European Political Community summit reassessed trans-Atlantic relations in the hope that Donald Trump’s second U.S. presidency will avoid the strife of his first administration.

NEW MEXICO

There’s been just shy of $1 billion spent on political ads up and down the ballot in the last week, data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows.The most expensive race over the last week is the presidential race, where more than $272 million has been spent on ads.The vast majority of the almost $1 billion spent on ads this week has come in down-ballot races across the country.With Election Day around the corner, there’s been just shy of $1 billion spent on political ads up and down the ballot in the last week, data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows.The $994 million is close to one-tenth of the more than $10 billion that’s been spent on political advertising so far since the start of 2023, spent across just seven days. And while Election Day may bring a temporary end to the spending onslaught that’s seemingly dominated every television commercial break in recent weeks, it’s not over yet: There’s still more than $300 million in future advertising time booked between Sunday and Tuesday.The most expensive race over the last week is, unsurprisingly, the presidential race, where more than $272 million has been spent on ads, according to data from AdImpact. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has narrowly outspent Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign $43.4 million to $40.7 million between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, but Democratic super PACs helped the party narrowly outspend Republicans over that period in the presidential race.The vast majority of the almost $1 billion spent on ads this week has come in down-ballot races across the country, as candidates and outside groups spend furiously in races for Congress, the state House, pivotal ballot questions and other races.There’s been more than $267 million spent on ads in down-ballot races, meaning all of the other races outside of races for president, governor and Congress.The two races drawing the most spending are in Florida, with $19 million in ad spending on the ballot referendum on abortion rights and about $18.5 million on the ballot referendum on legalizing marijuana there.One other down-ballot race saw more than $10 million in ad spending over the last week: California’s referendum on rent control.Senate races have drawn $227 million so far.Three Senate races have drawn more than $30 million each over the last week: Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.Wisconsin and Michigan are in the next tier, with more than $23 million in spending last week.House races have seen more than $208 million in ad spending.New York’s 19th District (where Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is trying to hold on against Democrat Josh Riley) has seen the most, at almost $9 million in ad spending.California’s 45th District, a race featuring Republican Rep. Michelle Steel and Democrat Derek Tran, is seeing the next highest amount of ad spending with about $7.5 million, followed closely by California’s 27th District, where Republican Rep. Mike Garcia faces Democrat George Whitesides.Governors races have had just $18 million in ad spending in the last week, thanks to a relative lack of competitive races this cycle.New Hampshire’s open gubernatorial race, featuring Republican former Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, is seeing the most ad spending ($6.7 million).

Four of these heated races are in Southern California and they're among the most expensive in the nation.

Former President Donald Trump rallied in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where he was endorsed by a top Puerto Rican official.

WASHINGTON — The battle for the House is ultracompetitive one week away from Election Day, with both parties bracing for potential narrow majorities come January but seeing their own paths to victory.

Representatives are elected to two-year terms without term limits, so they're on your ballot a lot. Here's a look the candidates in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

There are two battleground races touching L.A. County that could determine which party controls the House.

It's a life skill being taught in one college class in Orange County.

WASHINGTON — While California may be solidly Democratic in presidential contests, a handful of competitive races in the state could determine whether Republicans keep control of the U.S. House. Voters also will cast ballots in a U.S. Senate contest and 10 statewide propositions, in addition to the presidency and the state Legislature. At the top [...]The post What to Expect in California on Election Day appeared first on GV Wire.

Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., seen here last month at the Capitol, is now an underdog in his reelection race.

While California may be solidly Democratic in presidential contests, a handful of competitive races in November could determine whether Republicans keep control of the U.S. House

Republican Rep. Michelle Steel is in a difficult race for a third term representing the 45th District. Steel is up against Democrat Derek Tran, a trial lawyer and veteran who's never held elected office.

Commerce Lane, a block-long street in an industrial part of the beach town is now also Honorary Laird Lane.

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Niels Lesniewski, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire Fundraising isn’t everything when it comes to campaigns — but it certainly does not hurt. [...]The post At the Races: Money comin’, money goin’ appeared first on Roll Call.

Eugene Vindman high-fives a supporter in Stafford, Va., on Sept. 20. The Democratic candidate reported an eye-popping fundraising haul in the third quarter.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries crisscrossed Southern California over the weekend as his party works to wrest control of the U.S. House from Republicans

The House Democratic campaign arm is increasingly relying on small, community-centric events for its get-out-the-vote efforts among voters of color, looking to increase interest with non-political hooks. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is organizing barbecues, boxing watch parties, social mixers and more to bring in low-propensity voters in knife-edge districts. “From meet and greets [...]

Former US president Barack Obama will bring his star power to Kamala Harris's election campaign Thursday in a bid to get out the vote in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.America's first Black president is hitting the campaign trail in the steel city of Pittsburgh a day after Harris's Republican rival Donald Trump charged through the must-win state.The still hugely influential Democrat will be urging people to vote early in person or by mail as Harris looks to lock in as many votes as she can in a nail-biting race.Trump rallied on Wednesday in President Joe Biden's childhood hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania and will head on Thursday to the auto industry capital of Detroit in Michigan, another battleground.Wooing blue-collar voters in the former coal mining town of Scranton, Trump vowed to "drill, baby, drill" for oil and assailed Harris on the economy.Harris will head to yet another swing state, Nevada, to reach out to Latino voters but the White House said she would be kept informed throughout the day about Hurricane Milton.The monster hurricane crashed into Florida late Wednesday with Biden warning that it could be the "storm of the century."Obama's trip to Pennsylvania is the first stop in what will be a month of campaigning for Harris in the seven swing states where the 2024 election is likely to be decided.The White House race remains neck-and-neck between Harris and Trump both nationally and in the battleground states, including Pennsylvania.Harris's campaign is counting on Obama, 63, who was president from 2009 to January 2017, to mobilize Black and young voters as she seeks the edge on November 5.- 'Everything he can' -But Obama's main message on Thursday will be to drive home the early voting message in an agonizingly close race.Democrats have historically favored early voting over Republicans.Trump has meanwhile frequently lashed out against anything except on-the-day voting, repeatedly blaming mail-in ballots for his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden, which he still refused to accept.The Republican himself has also sometimes called early voting into question, despite efforts by his campaign to promote it."President Obama believes the stakes of this election could not be more consequential and that is why he is doing everything he can to help elect Vice President Harris," Obama's senior advisor Eric Schultz said in a statement.Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama delivered rapturously received speeches backing Harris at the Democratic National Convention in his hometown of Chicago in August.He portrayed Harris -- America's first woman, Black and South Asian vice president -- as the political heir to his own trailblazing path.Obama led the crowd in chants of "Yes she can" -- a riff on the "Yes he can" chants from his own 2008 campaign -- but warned that 2024 would "still be a tight race in a closely divided country."The ex-president has also pulled in more than $76 million for the Democratic ticket in this year's presidential race.The ex-president endorsed Harris, 59, after Biden dramatically dropped out of the White House race in July.© Agence France-Presse

(Inside California Politics) - Inside California Politics is talking to the candidates in various swing districts across California that could impact the balance of power in Congress. In CA-45, Congresswoman Michelle Steel is looking to hold on to her seat, as Derek Tran aims to take her place in Washington D.C. Inside California Politics co-host [...]

A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Orange County, Calif., are urging House leaders to include disaster relief funding in fiscal year 2025 spending, highlighting wildfire damage in the state even as damage from Hurricane Helene on the other side of the country has heightened attention on the issue. “We urge you to include disaster relief [...]

As Election Day approaches, Democratic hopefuls are doing all they can to tie Republican opponents in contested congressional districts to their anti-abortion records.

Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz take part in the vice-presidential debate at CBS Studios in New York on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — California has several of the most 2024 competitive races for the U.S. House of Representatives, races crucial to deciding who wins control of the chamber..

GOP efforts to recruit and support female candidates in primaries stalled this year, while Democratic women could expand their ranks after a strong showing.

The DNC said the money is earmarked for additional staff to target key House races, including several in Southern California.

The winner of District 1 will join a five-member board that oversees a county of about 3 million residents with an annual budget of about $9 billion.

Democrats say House Republicans' ads touting their support of VAWA is deceptive given their record of voting against reauthorizing it.

Representatives are elected to two-year terms without term limits, so they're on your ballot a lot. Here's a look the candidates in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

In the most contested races for control of the U.S. House, many Republican candidates are speaking up about women’s rights to abortion access and reproductive care in new and surprising ways. Looking directly into the camera for ads, or penning...

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. When House and Senate primary season began on March 5, Super Tuesday, President Joe Biden was running for reelection and Nikki Haley was still [...]The post At the Races: Recapping the season appeared first on Roll Call.

On Sunday evening former President Donald Trump's running mate was scheduled to speak at a campaign reception in Los Angeles as part of three-day fundraising swing.

WASHINGTON — The House battleground continues to take shape two months before Election Day. While a handful of the top Senate races have been engaged for months with torrents of television ads, most House races are just now doing the same. And with the uncertainty at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, the down-ballot fight was in a holding pattern for much of the summer.

New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler’s reelection race is moving in his favor, according to Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections.

California is home to six bellwether U.S. House races that analysts say could help determine which party controls Congress in 2025.Why it matters: Latinos make up roughly one in four California voters this year — and hold an even larger share in some of the most competitive districts, meaning they're expected to play a crucial role in the six key races.The four main PACs devoted to House races — two Republican and two Democratic — have said they're planning to spend nearly $73 million on ads in California.Zoom in: A rematch between U.S. Rep. John Duarte (R) and former Democratic state lawmaker Adam Gray in California's 13th District in the Central Valley is drawing the most eyeballs since it was decided by just a few hundred votes in 2022.Another rematch pits longtime U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R) against former federal prosecutor Will Rollins (D) in the 41st District in the state's Inland Empire.The 45th Congressional District in Orange Country has incumbent U.S. Michelle Steel (R) pitted against Democratic challenger Derek Tran in a plurality-Asian American district where Democrats have a registration advantage.Another closely watched rematch has U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R), a dairy farmer, facing up against Democratic former state lawmaker Rudy Salas in the San Joaquin Valley, the site of some of the most prominent Chicano farmworkers movements.In the suburbs north of Los Angeles, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia (R) will compete with Democratic challenger George Whitesides, a former chief executive of space tourism company Virgin Galactic, to represent the 27th Congressional District.State Sen. Dave Min (D) and Scott Baugh, a former GOP state Assembly leader, are facing off to replace U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) in the 47th District, south of Los Angeles. Between the lines: The races are being closely watched because many of them lean Democratic and are districts President Biden won in 2020, according to an Axios analysis. Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor at California State University, Fresno, tells Axios that turnout in the races, especially among Latinos, will be crucial.Yes, but: Some Democratic-leaning Latino voters, especially in the Central Valley, don't have strong ties to the Democratic Party, making the races even more unpredictable, Holyoke says."The main reason they have leaned Democratic" is because of the party's pro-immigrant stance, but now issues in agriculture, such as access to water, are top priority — and many see Republicans as owning that issue, he adds.What we're watching: Holyoke says Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California attorney general, could give Democrats in close House races a minimal but decisive jolt after entering the presidential race.Subscribe to Axios Latino to get vital news about U.S. Latinos and Latin America.

One election analyst recently changed its rating of California's 45th congressional race to be less favorable for Republicans.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is vowing to force health insurance companies or the federal government to pay for IVF treatments, a proposal at odds with the actions of much of his own party. It reveals the former president’s realization...

Weber, who grew up in L.A. after her family moved from Arkansas, has served as California's secretary of state since 2021.

The kinetic energy powering Kamala Harris’ whirlwind presidential campaign carries the hopeful aspirations of history for many female voters.

Kennedy will speak Friday afternoon in Phoenix about his campaign’s path forward. Hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale, and his campaign has teased a “special guest.”

If our next president must be Trump or Harris, I'm sure glad there are limits on their power.

In the meantime, watch out for budgets in the red and those red flags.

Crews prepare for the balloon drop inside the United Center on Thursday, August 15, as Chicago gears up for the Democratic National Convention. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Vandals targeted a Republican Party office in Newport Beach and Rep. Michelle Steel's district office in Cypress, prompting investigations.