(NewsNation) — California voters will cast their ballots Tuesday in some important races in the 2024 election, including for the U.S. Senate seat formerly occupied by Dianne Feinstein until her death in 2023.
Presidential race in California
Vice President Kamala Harris is projected to win California.
California US Senate race
Rep. Adam Schiff is projected to win California’s Senate seat.
The Senate race features Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, a former Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.
Schiff was a state senator from 1996 to 2000 and has served in the U.S. House since 2001. He rose into the national spotlight when he served as the lead House manager in former President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
The outcome of the race could affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in 2025. Political strategist Laphonza Butler has served as the Democratic replacement since Feinstein’s death.
US House races in California
California voters Tuesday will also elect 52 candidates to serve in the U.S. House from each of the state’s 52 districts.
One race of note is Califoria’s 13th District. Freshman Republican Rep. John Duarte won the race by just 564 votes in 2022, notable since Democratic President Joe Biden carried the district by double digits two years earlier in 2020. That makes this Central Valley-based district a top priority for both parties.
The 2024 race is a rematch from two years ago, with Duarte set to square up against former California State Assemblymember Adam Gray.
The state’s farm belt is more conservative than most of California, with the cost of living and access to water for irrigation both being top challenges and priorities.
Duarte emphasizes his farming roots, growing grapes, almonds and pistachios, and says curbing Washington spending would lessen inflation. Gray touts money he’s helped deliver to the region from Sacramento for water storage and to repair aging canals.
Democrat George Whitesides flipped California’s 27th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Ken Calvert won the 41st Congressional District against Democratic candidate Will Rollins.
Democrat Sam Liccardo is projected to win Silicon Valley’s 16th Congressional District. He faced Assemblymember Evan Low.
Republican incumbent Rep. David G. Valadao is projected to win reelection in the California Congressional District 22 race, according to NewsNation / Decision Desk HQ.
Democrat Dave Min is projected to win California’s 47th Congressional District against Republican candidate Scott Baugh, according to DDHQ projections.
California statewide ballot measures
California voters will be asked to decide on several ballot measures, including Proposition 32, which would increase the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour if approved.
Proposition 6 asks voters to decide on whether involuntary servitude should still be used as punishment for a crime in state prisons. Proposition 2 asks voters to borrow $10 billion for public school construction and repairs, with the majority of the money slated to go to elementary and secondary schools. The rest would go to community colleges.
On Tuesday, 468 seats in the U.S. Congress (33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for grabs. These elections will determine who has control over the two chambers of Congress, and ultimately, who sets the agenda for the next president’s term.
California has 54 electoral votes, the most of any state in the U.S.
Early voting in California began Oct. 7 but varies by county. Polls in California open at 7 a.m and close at 8:00 p.m local time.