LOS ANGELES — Over the weekend, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries embarked on a tour across Southern California, visiting areas such as Little Saigon in Orange County and the Antelope Valley, which are situated far from the primary presidential race. His mission is to regain control of the U.S. House from the Republicans.
Despite California’s status as a Democratic stronghold, the party has lost House seats in recent elections, allowing Republicans to secure the speaker’s gavel. In order for Jeffries to assume the role of House speaker following a potential Democratic resurgence in November, his party must capture four seats currently held by the GOP — five of which are in California, the highest number of any state in the country.
Jeffries emphasized California’s crucial role in the upcoming elections. “California is an incredibly important state at all times, but particularly this cycle given the volume of races that will help decide control of the House of Representatives,” he shared during his tour.
As the battle for congressional control heats up, Democrats are desperately trying to overturn recent electoral results that saw unexpected Republican victories in districts that had been won by President Joe Biden in 2020.
In addition to California, Jeffries’ home state of New York has emerged as an unexpected blue-state battleground that could sway the overall congressional elections and determine which party controls the House and its leadership.
The weekend was not devoid of Republican presence; Donald Trump, the GOP’s presidential nominee, criticized California as a “paradise lost” under Democrat governance. He rallied supporters in Coachella amidst the famed music festival.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also made his way to California, participating in private events in South Orange County, focusing on protecting and potentially increasing the GOP’s majority. He was seen supporting Republican candidate Matt Gunderson, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Mike Levin for his seat. Johnson expressed confidence in Republican prospects, stating, “I believe Republicans are going to win the House, grow the House majority,” during an interview with CBS.
In what was traditionally a Republican stronghold, Jeffries visited Anaheim on Saturday, located within Little Saigon, home to a large population of Vietnamese Americans, many of whom settled in the region following the Vietnam War. At a local restaurant and banquet hall near Disneyland, community leaders and entertainers gathered to show their support for Democratic hopeful Derek Tran, who is vying to become the first Vietnamese-American to represent the district. He is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel.
“This is going to be a close race,” Jeffries told attendees, highlighting the significance of Tran’s candidacy in the context of representation within the House Democratic caucus.
Further north, in the outskirts of Los Angeles County — an area where the aerospace industry meets iconic Joshua trees — Jeffries mobilized over 200 enthusiastic volunteers at a union hall in Palmdale, preparing to engage voters through door-to-door efforts. This area is the only congressional seat in Los Angeles County currently occupied by a Republican, Rep. Mike Garcia. He faces competition from Democrat George Whitesides, a former NASA official and newcomer to the political scene.
Republicans remain optimistic about their standing and campaign messaging, especially in a state where Democrats typically dominate. “Southern California races are always competitive, but Republicans keep having success,” noted Republican strategist Lance Trover, who is involved with both the Steel and Gunderson campaigns.
Before deploying the volunteers to canvass, Jeffries recapped his busy itinerary that included key battleground states, affirming the importance of every race in the nationwide effort to regain House control. His travels recently took him from Phoenix to New Haven, Connecticut, emphasizing the collaborative nature of this campaign with the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Among the volunteers, Dave Guttman, an aerospace engineer from Pasadena, expressed a strong desire to participate in this election cycle, drawing from his experience in previous campaigns, including that of Hillary Clinton in 2016. “You just got to try,” he remarked, sharing that he knocked on 35 doors that day.