… For the first time in more than two decades, Republicans in California wrested a seat from Democrats. Mike Garcia, a political novice running as a supporter of President Trump, defeated Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a centrist Democrat, by around 10 percentage points.
The outcome was neither an earth-shattering victory that presages a red wave in the bluest state nor an entirely predictable result of low turnout in a special election destined to be reversed when the two candidates face off again in November. As always, there were circumstances peculiar to the local contest.
But there are also larger portents about the perils of electoral politics in the post-coronavirus world and the Democrats’ challenge in holding on to the seats they flipped in the 2018 midterm election. CONT.
Miriam Pawel, New York Times
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