LOS ANGELES — California voters on Tuesday took the first step in what could become the most consequential House battleground fights in the country, casting ballots in five newly redrawn congressional districts that Democrats view as critical to their effort to reclaim the chamber.The races are unfolding against the backdrop of California’s top-two primary system, which sends the two highest vote-getters to the general election regardless of party. That structure has left both parties closely watching whether their preferred candidates can survive crowded primary fields and advance to November.Democrats have high hopes in the five districts that were redrawn last year after Proposition 50, a controversial ballot initiative backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and state Democrats, passed. The measure reconfigured the state’s congressional districts to give Democrats an advantage ahead of the midterm elections. The outgoing governor, who is term-limited and widely expected to run for president in 2028, had framed the fight as one for the very soul of democracy.
Because California accepts and counts large numbers of mail-in ballots after Election Day, final results were not immediately available. Several of the closely watched contests remained undecided Wednesday afternoon as election officials continued tabulating votes.
