Perfect storm builds against Republicans in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If Democrats are to reclaim the majority in the House of Representatives this year, they will almost certainly do so with the help of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s home state, where multiple favorable waves are building.

Almost a third of the House districts that elected a Republican but voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 are in California. Almost all of those districts have seen explosive demographic growth that benefits Democrats.

“People are very focused on the districts that Mrs. Clinton won that Republicans held in Congress. And there are seven of those in California,” said Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire who has pledged to spend $30 million on Democrats’ behalf in 2018, much of it in California.

The politics of the moment benefit Democrats, too. Polls show President Trump’s approval rating in California is among the lowest in the country. The GOP’s primary legislative achievement last year, a major overhaul of the federal tax code, appears likely to raise taxes on voters in crucial California congressional districts. And even the state Senate Republican leader has been critical of the administration’s efforts to open California’s coast to new oil and gas exploration.

“If the Democrats are going to pick up the House, they have to pick up a bunch of seats in California,” said Bill Carrick, a longtime Democratic strategist based in Los Angeles.

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/369254-perfect-storm-builds-against-republicans-in-california