Track the California races that could flip the House

Repost from the Los Angeles Times

As a crucial primary nears, track the California races that could flip the House

By Christina Bellantoni, Julie Westfall and Allison Wisk
Originally Published Sept. 13, 2017, Updated Jan. 24, 2018, Next Update: March 2018

California’s June 5 primary will set the course for which congressional districts will be battlegrounds — or missed opportunities — this fall. With just over two months to go, we’ve updated our rankings of the most competitive contests in the state. The stakes in the midterm elections couldn’t be higher: control of the U.S. House. Democrats consider 10 Republican-held districts here to be battlegrounds and can’t win the House without winning at least a few of them.

Retirements in Southern California have created two open-seat races that could make that task a bit easier. On the other hand, the Republicans running to replace them might fare better against crowded fields of Democratic hopefuls, many of whom are seeking office for the first time. California’s top-two primary system could threaten Democrats, too, as Republican candidates could grab the top two spots in certain races and advance to the general election, shutting Democrats out.

Taking multiple factors into account, The Times’ California politics editors have ranked the hottest races by the intensity of the fight ahead. We’ll be updating our rankings, and subscribers to the Essential Politics newsletter will be the first to learn what’s changed.

…continued…
(The Times article continues with detailed coverage
of the top 14 flippable races.)