LOS ANGELES — Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia extended his narrow lead Tuesday over Democrat Christy Smith in the 25th Congressional District north of Los Angeles, where ballot-counting continued in the back-and-forth contest.
By the end of last week, Garcia had opened up a lead of just over 100 votes. An updated tally from Los Angeles and Ventura counties showed his edge had grown to 422 votes.
Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot and defense industry executive, captured the swing district seat in a special election in May against Smith. The post was left vacant after former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill resigned in 2019 amid a House ethics probe.
The district, anchored in Los Angeles County but paired with a slice of Ventura County that is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, has a Democratic registration edge.
When Hill captured the district in 2018, it was the last Republican-held House seat anchored in Los Angeles County.
If Garcia holds on for a win, he will have overcome the district's Democratic registration edge as well as a poor performance by President Donald Trump, who lost California to Joe Biden by over 5 million votes, according to an unofficial tally.
California Republicans this year set out on what seemed like an improbable task: reclaim a string of House seats lost in 2018 in a heavily Democratic state, with widely unpopular Trump at the top of the ticket.
So far, Republican candidates seized two Democratic-held districts and are threatening in another: In the Central Valley, Republican former Rep. David Valadao is leading in his bid to retake his old job from Democratic Rep. TJ Cox, who unseated him two years ago.
