When it comes to national elections, the sad truth for Californians is we don't really matter. But this year, something unusual is happening: A handful of longtime Republican congressional districts are suddenly vulnerable.
Capital Public Radio's Ben Bradford charts the rise and fall of California's Republican Party, and its prospects going into tough midterm election battles.

Republicans On The Ropes

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 Sally Longenecker 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 Sally Longenecker
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 On The Ropes

Download our free app to listen on your phone