California's contentious congressional races in Southern California brought in millions of dollars in campaign spending from national Democratic organizations that previously ignored these districts.
Host Ben Bradford asks political strategists whether the choice to spend big bucks paid off. Experts also talk about the "political chess game" that the parties played in order to succeed under California's "top-two" primary system. And they weigh in on each party’s advantages and challenges going into the general election.
Guests:
Christine Mai-Duc
 Political Reporter
 LA Times
 @cmaiduc
Darry Sragow
 Attorney/Former Democratic Political Strategist
 @darrysragow
Katie Merrill
 Democratic Political Strategist
 Take Back California
 @katiemerrill
Jen Jacobs
 Republican Political Strategist
 @jenjacobs92101
Scott Lay 
 Writer
 "Around The Capitol" newsletter
 @ScottLay
Paul Mitchell
 Vice President
 Political Data, Inc. 
 @paulmitche11

Republicans Hold Back Blue Wave, But Democrats Avoid Shutouts In California Primary

California Congressional seats that were solidly Republican are suddenly up for grabs. Capital Public Radio's Keys to the House follows the battleground races and themes that could determine which party controls the House of Representatives.

News & Politics

It seemed on election night that Democrats in California were going to flip perhaps a couple of the seven Republican-held seats they were targeting in the House of Representatives. Three weeks later, the Democrats have flipped all seven — not only turning all of Orange County blue, but also two seats in the Central Valley. In our final Keys To The House episode, Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler talks with political experts about how this happened and what this means for California’s two major political parties.

Guests:
Mike Madrid, principal, GrassrootsLab
@madrid_mike

Paul Mitchell, vice president, Political Data Inc.
@paulmitche11

'Statistically Impossible'?


Democrats now hold the Keys to the House, but many California races still hang in the balance. In this week’s episode, we discuss what the heck just happened in Tuesday’s midterm election. Did we see a ‘blue wave’ in California? What do the results say about California’s politics? 
Capital Public Radio’s Ben Adler talks with political data analyst Paul Mitchell and Los Angeles Times Politics Reporter Christine Mai-Duc about Democratic enthusiasm, Republican motivation and all the races that are still too close to call.
Guests:
Christine Mai-Duc
Political Reporter
LA Times
@cmaiduc
Paul Mitchell
Vice President
Political Data, Inc.
@paulmitche11


So What The Heck Just Happened?

By Ben Adler For Democrats to win California’s battleground congressional races, turning out their own voters won’t be enough. They’ll also have to convince Republicans disgusted with the president to kick their party out of power. In this episode, CapRadio’s Ben Adler speaks with Orange County voters who show the challenges and opportunities facing Democrats in Tuesday’s midterms.

The O.C., Part 2: Rebellious Republicans

By Ben Adler
Republicans have historically been more likely to vote than Democrats — especially in midterm elections. And in the battleground congressional districts of California’s Orange County, there are simply more of them. But the region is becoming more diverse, and younger. Both factors could help Democrats — if they can convince people who don’t usually cast ballots to give it a try this year.


The O.C., Part 1: Diverse Democrats

Which California congressional seats should Republicans truly be worrying about losing with control of the House of Representatives at stake in the November election — and which ones are probably just wishful thinking for Democrats?
Host Ben Adler gets the national view from NPR's lead political editor, Domenico Montanaro, and the California perspective from Paul Mitchell, Vice President of Political Data, Inc. They’ll also discuss Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, California’s gas tax ballot measure, and other factors that might — or might not — determine which voters actually turn out.
Guests
Domenico Montanaro, lead politics editor, NPR
@DomenicoNPR 
Paul Mitchell, vice president, Political Data Inc.
@paulmitche11
 

Republicans Hold Back Blue Wave, But Democrats Avoid Shutouts In California Primary

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