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Two more Republicans go down in California as the blue wave grows

Democrat Katie Hill officially captured Los Angeles County’s final Republican House seat from Rep. Steve Knight
Two more Republicans go down in California as the blue wave grows

Democrats unseated two more House Republicans in California over the weekend, boosting the blue majority in the House as votes from the midterms keep rolling in.

Democrat Harley Rouda, an ex-Republican, defeated Rep. Dana Rohrabacher with 52 percent of the vote vs. 48 percent for Rohrabacher. He had become an increasingly controversial figure over his unquestioned support of President Donald Trump, admiration of Vladimir Putin, and penchant for conspiracy theories.

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On Friday evening, Democrat Katie Hill officially captured Los Angeles County’s final Republican House seat from Rep. Steve Knight, pulling in 51.7 percent of the vote. Hill is a self-avowed centrist who is a gun owner with a Republican father who’s a cop.

It’s more wins for Democrats who will end up gaining between 35 and 40 seats in the House as a result of the midterms, the largest victory margin for the party since the elections after Watergate in 1974.

A few House races in California remain up in the air. Republican Rep. Mimi Walters has maintained a slight lead over Democrat Katie Porter in a race that has yet to be called. Republican Young Kim is still holding on to a slight lead over Gil Cisneros. And Democrat Josh Harder pulled ahead of Republican Rep. Jeff Denham over the weekend.

California often takes several days to finish counting votes in statewide and national elections, and a few other states likewise are still counting mail-in and provisional votes in this high-turnout midterm.

Cover: Katie Hill, a Democratic Party candidate from California's 25th congressional district, conducts an interview after voting Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Agua Dulce, Calif. Hill is running against Republican incumbent Steve Knight. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)