California is a key congressional battleground, at least its swing districts. These races are some of the most expensive in the nation, will well over $200 million in campaign fundraising already reported both directly to candidates and in outside spending.
Why these races matter: Now, Republicans have a majority of a mere five seats in the U.S. House, and California’s delegation includes 40 Democrats and 12 Republicans.
Why now: The outcome of tight congressional races in California is looming increasingly important for which party will control the U.S. House next year. Both parties are focusing on six swing districts.
And that means the outcomes of tight congressional races in California are looming increasingly important for which party will control the U.S. House next year. Both parties are focusing on six swing districts.
These races are some of the most expensive in the nation, with well over $200 million in campaign fundraising already reported, both directly to candidates and in outside spending.
About the vote count
As you watch these results, keep in mind:
There more more than 22.6 million registered voters in California.
In 2020, the last presidential election, more than 16.1 million Californians cast a ballot.
Keep in mind that in tight races the winner may not be determined for days or weeks after Election Day. This is normal. Here's why.
In California, ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 5 are counted toward the results as long as they arrive within seven days of the election. The California Secretary of State's Office is scheduled to certify the final vote on Dec. 13.
District 13: Gray vs. Duarte
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CalMatters
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The candidates:
Adam Gray | Small Businessman / Educator | Democrat
John Duarte (Incumbent) | Farmer / Valley Congressman | Republican
The district
Stretching along the San Joaquin Valley, the district encompasses all of Merced County and parts of Madera, Stanislaus, Fresno and San Joaquin counties. The heavily agricultural district is almost 70% Hispanic, with nearly one in three residents born outside the United States. One in five lives below the poverty line.
Voter registration: 40.9% Democratic, 29.5% Republican, 21.8% no party preference
Primary results: John Duarte, 54.9%, Adam Gray, 45.1%
The scoop
In 2022, the race for this seat was one of the closest in the nation. GOP Rep. John Duarte, a fourth-generation farmer in Modesto, narrowly warded off a challenge from former Democratic state Assemblymember Adam Gray. The two are locked in a rematch in November.
Both are trying to define themselves as the best moderate politician for the district. Duarte — who flipped the seat red in 2022 for the first time since 1974 — has positioned himself as a moderate Republican who is fiscally conservative but who has bucked his own party on border restrictions for undocumented migrants. He has also resisted calling for a federal abortion ban, arguing women should have access during the first trimester.
Gray and Duarte are both focused on water issues — one of the top priorities for district voters, and both have vowed to protect water access for local farms. They will also be seeking support among Latino voters, who make up more than half of the district’s eligible voting population.
Fundraising
District 22: Salas vs. Valadao
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CalMatters
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The candidates:
Rudy Salas | College Teacher | Democrat
David G. Valadao (Incumbent) | Farmer / Congressman |Republican
The district
Located in the San Joaquin Valley — the largest agricultural region in California — the district spans Kern, Kings and Tulare counties and includes the cities of Delano, Shafter and Porterville, plus parts of Bakersfield. It is a Latino-majority district, with almost 70% of Mexican descent. One in five families live in poverty, and only one in 10 residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Voter registration: 41.2% Democratic, 27.3% Republican, 23.1% no party preference
Primary results: David Valadao 32.7%, Rudy Salas 31.3%
The scoop
In this highly competitive Central Valley district, a rematch is set between GOP incumbent and dairy farmer David Valadao and former Democratic state Assemblymember Rudy Salas. In 2022, Valadao beat Salas by less than 4,000 votes.
It is a seat Valadao has kept winning since 2012 despite the blue leaning of the district, with registered Democrats far outnumbering Republicans. That’s partly due to Valadao’s moderate conservatism but also to low turnout among Latino voters, the region’s largest voting bloc for Democrats. Valadao was ousted by a Democrat in 2018 but regained the seat in 2020. In 2022, he was one of the only two Republicans to hold onto their seats after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2021.
Both Salas and Valadao faced challengers from within their own party in the March top-two primary. Democratic party leaders spent millions backing Salas and preventing Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, from splitting Democratic votes. And Valadao fended off pressure from Chris Mathys, a self-described “MAGA Conservative.”
Salas will likely face similar attacks from last cycle, as conservatives are trying again to tie him to high prices and crime rates, but Salas has also touted his moderate record, such as being the only Democrat to oppose a 2017 gas tax hike and writing a bill to clamp down on shoplifters two years ago. Democrats are counting on Salas to turn out Latinos: Son of a farmworker, Salas was the first Latino on the Bakersfield City Council, and would be the first Latino to ever represent the congressional district.
Fundraising
District 27: Whitesides vs. Garcia
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CalMatters
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The candidates:
George Whitesides | Aerospace Businessman / Father | Democrat
Mike Garcia (Incumbent) | Congressman / Father | Republican
The district
Based in northern Los Angeles County, the district is home to the Antelope Valley and includes the high desert cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster as well as parts of the city of Los Angeles. The district also hosts multiple aerospace manufacturing companies and defense contractors. Hispanic residents account for almost half of the district’s population.
Voter registration: 40.7% Democratic, 30.1% Republican, 21.5% no party preference
Primary results: Mike Garcia 54.9%, George Whitesides 32.8%
The scoop
This is one of five GOP-held congressional districts in California that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, and one of the most closely watched toss-ups this November.
GOP Rep. Mike Garcia, son of Mexican immigrants and a U.S. Navy veteran who worked for defense giant Raytheon, was first elected to the seat during a special election in 2020, replacing a Democrat who resigned amid scandals of inappropriate relationships. He held onto the seat in November 2020 by a 333-vote margin against Democratic challenger Christy Smith, and defeated her again in 2022.
This time, Garcia faces a new Democrat: George Whitesides, former chief of staff of NASA under President Barack Obama. He’s leading Garcia in fundraising and cash in the bank, and has attacked Garcia for supporting Donald Trump and backing legislation to restrict abortion and cut funding to social welfare programs.
Garcia in turn has argued he is focused on kitchen-table issues, slamming Whitesides as an “extreme liberal” who only moved to the area in 2010 after an education on the East coast. The Republican is backed by a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC that pledged to spend millions on TV ads.
Fundraising
District 41: Rollins vs. Calvert
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CalMatters
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The candidates:
Will Rollins | Counterterrorism Law Attorney | Democrat
Ken Calvert (Incumbent) |U.S. Representative | Republican
The district
The Inland Empire district located in western Riverside County is home to the heavily Democratic city of Palm Springs, famous for electing the nation’s first all-LGBTQ city council. But it also includes the swing city of Corona and more Republican parts of the county. The once-deeply conservative district has shifted left over the years, partly due to an increasingly diverse population, including Los Angeles transplants, and the redistricting in 2021.
Voter registration: 36.3% Democratic, 37.0% Republican, 18.6% no party preference
Primary results: Ken Calvert 53%, Will Rollins 38.4%
The scoop
GOP Rep. Ken Calvert — the longest-serving Republican in the California congressional delegation — had represented the area without much challenge since 1993, until a close race in 2022 almost flipped the seat blue. His opponent, former federal prosecutor Will Rollins, is running against him again in November.
The two have clashed over LGBTQ rights, an issue that is especially important in Palm Springs, where as many as half of the residents identify as part of that community. Rollins, who is gay, is trying to connect with gay voters with his personal experience while attacking Calvert’s past votes against federal recognition of same-sex marriages and against repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. Calvert in turn said his position on same-sex marriage has evolved, noting some Democrats voted the same way he did at the time.
Calvert has attacked Rollins’ prosecutor background, slamming him as “soft on crime” and criticizing him for being largely silent on a November ballot initiative that would enhance penalties for certain petty crimes. Rollins stressed his background prosecuting participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, while Calvert voted against certifying the election results that day citing concerns about voting irregularities in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Calvert did, however, say he believes Biden won legitimately.
Fundraising
District 45: Steel vs. Tran
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CalMatters
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The candidates:
Derek Tran | Workers' Rights Advocate |Democrat
Michelle Steel (Incumbent) | U.S. Representative | Republican
The district
The C-shaped district is located in northwestern Orange County, covering cities including Garden Grove and Buena Park. It is home to Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese enclave outside Vietnam itself. Asian Americans — who make up 36% of the district population — are a key voting bloc. Latino and white people each account for roughly a third of the district.
Voter registration: 37.3% Democratic, 33.0% Republican, 24.0% no party preference
The politically diverse district is among the key ones in California that have helped determine control of Congress in recent elections. The district supported Joe Biden for president in 2020 but went for Republican John Cox during the 2018 gubernatorial election.
The seat is currently held by GOP Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant who narrowly defeated a Democrat incumbent in 2020 and defended her seat against another Asian American challenger in 2022. This year, she faces a challenge from Derek Tran, a personal injury lawyer, veteran and son of political refugees, who would be the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in the House.
The area’s large Vietnamese-American population could be key to this election. Democrats are counting on Tran to make inroads into a community that typically leans conservative. But Tran faces an uphill climb: In past campaigns, Steel was able to tap into the anti-communist sentiment shared by many Vietnamese voters and is better recognized as the incumbent. She has also outraised and outspent Tran, with triple the amount Tran had entering July.
Scott Baugh | Orange County Business Owner | Republican
The district
Running along the coastline of south Orange County, this district contains the Democratic city of Irvine as well as GOP-leaning cities such as Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. More than half of the residents are white, while Asians account for nearly a quarter of the population.
Voter registration: 35.0% Democratic, 35.0% Republican, 23.7% no party preference
Primary results: Scott Baugh 32.1%, Dave Min 25.9%.
The scoop
The district — which became a battleground district after the redistricting following the 2020 Census and is another one targeted by national Democrats — is represented by progressive firebrand Rep. Katie Porter, who is not seeking re-election and failed in her run for U.S. Senate this March.
GOP attorney and former state lawmaker Scott Baugh, who narrowly lost to Porter in 2022, is running again this year. Democrats are hoping to hold onto the seat with state Sen. Dave Min, who is vowing to secure the backing of Asian-American voters, who could hold the key to the race.
Both candidates have tried to paint each other as extreme, and the issue of crime is front and center. Baugh and his allies have hammered Min for his drunken driving arrest and portrayed him as soft-on-crime for supporting bills restricting the release of criminal records of certain felons upon completion of their sentences, although Min has now backed Proposition 36, an initiative to toughen penalties on retail thefts and certain drug offenses. Min has called Baugh a “career criminal,” targeting his past election law violations and the rule Baugh implemented as chairperson of the Orange County GOP that deterred Republican candidates from supporting police unions.
Fundraising
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Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
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Marina Peña
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Bioswales — narrow, sunken strip of land along some L.A. streets — are meant to capture and filter storm water runoff, helping reduce flooding and keep pollutants from flowing into the ocean. But citywide, there are about 23 bioswales that appear abandoned.
Why it matters: The sidewalk features were installed during former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Complete Streets program around 2018. The initiative aimed to improve streets, add greenery and better manage stormwater along key corridors across the city. But residents, like some in Pico Union, say that bioswales have become dumping grounds. In some cases, the concrete structures were installed but left without vegetation for years, presenting safety concerns.
What's being done about them? Steve Kang, president of the city’s Board of Public Works, said his office is now working to create a program similar to “Adopt-a-Median” that would allow community members and organizations to formally maintain bioswales. Under the proposal, participants would enter into agreements with the city, with support from the Office of Community Beautification, which can provide tools like gloves, trash bags and gardening supplies.
Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
It’s original purpose was to capture and filter storm water runoff, helping reduce flooding and keep pollutants from flowing into the ocean. But neighbors in Pico Union say that this bioswale and many others across the city have become dumping grounds.
The sidewalk features were installed during former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Complete Streets program around 2018. The initiative aimed to improve streets, add greenery and better manage stormwater along key corridors across the city.
Local resident Aurora Corona — a longtime Pico Union community organizer involved in local environmental and cleanup efforts — said in some instances it looks like the bioswales were not fully installed.
Citywide, there are about 23 bioswales that appear abandoned, Corona said. Many are located in central and South Los Angeles and spread across at least eight council districts.
In some cases, the concrete structures were installed but left without vegetation for years, Corona said, raising concerns that they were never able to function as intended.
Heberto Portobanco, owner of the Nicaraguan restaurant Portobanco in Pico Union, first noticed the bioswale outside his business about eight years ago, but it became hard to ignore about two years ago when it became a hazard.
“We had an accident, one of the people who does maintenance for us came and fell into it,” he said.
The bioswale was deeper and not fully finished, Portobanco said. After multiple people reported what happened to the city, Portobanco said the city added more soil to level it out.
“The idea might be nice, but if it’s not maintained, it’s a problem,” Portobanco said.
The biggest concern for Portobanco remains safety, especially as he said that people continue to use the space improperly or fail to notice it altogether.
He would be willing to help maintain the bioswale outside his restaurant if the city created a formal program to do so.
For him, keeping the space clean is also about pride and perception.
“I don’t want people to think that Latinos are careless and that we don’t take care of our surroundings,” he said, adding that a well-kept space could encourage others to take better care of the neighborhood.
Corona, the local organizer, has experienced similar issues to the ones Portobanco described.
She lives near two bioswales, including the one near Portobanco’s restaurant.
She first encountered them while organizing a cleanup around 2024 and said she didn’t initially know what they were. What she did know was that they were not being taken care of.
“I was tired of seeing this being a dumping ground, they would just throw trash here all the time,” she said.
That frustration pushed her to take action. She thought of what she had already done with other public spaces in her community.
In 2024, she helped transform a neglected dirt space on Venice Boulevard and Union Avenue into a small community green area — also known as a median — using local grant funding. With the help of volunteers, they removed contaminated soil and planted drought-tolerant greenery.
“It’s only been here since November and it’s grown a lot,” she said about the green belt, pointing to plants that started as small pots and are now taking root.
Corona continues to organize cleanups and, through the city’s “Adopt-a-Median” program, works with neighbors to maintain the space. She said she’d like to see a similar model applied to bioswales — essentially an “Adopt-a-Bioswale” program that would allow residents to take ownership of the ones near them.
“I think people would step up if they were given the chance and the support,” she said.
Across from an auto shop on Venice Boulevard and Albany Street sits a narrow, sunken strip of land lined with overgrown shrubs and cacti. It’s mostly filled with trash — from plastic bags and cups to containers, straws, chip bags and aluminum foil.
(
Marina Peña
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The LA Local
)
The program for the bioswales, as she envisions it, would involve planting California natives such as dudleya edulis, dudleya pulverulenta and other species that can withstand the weather. It would also call for improving their visibility by painting the bioswale borders in colors that reflect the neighborhood.
That idea has already been discussed at the city level.
Steve Kang, president of the city’s Board of Public Works, agrees that many bioswales now sit “barren” and are treated as “more of a trash repository.”
He said his office is now working to create a program similar to “Adopt-a-Median” that would allow community members and organizations to formally maintain bioswales.
“My intention is to make the process as seamless and easy as possible,” Kang said, adding that the goal is to launch the program sometime in 2026.
Under the proposal, participants would enter into agreements with the city, with support from the Office of Community Beautification, which can provide tools like gloves, trash bags and gardening supplies.
For residents like Corona and business owners like Portobanco, that kind of partnership could turn what are now neglected strips of land into something more useful.
“If we take care of these spaces, they can become something people are proud of,” Corona said. “It changes how people see the neighborhood and how they treat it.”
Makenna Cramer
leads LAist’s unofficial Big Bear bald eagle beat and has been covering Jackie and Shadow for several seasons.
Published April 3, 2026 11:48 AM
The first pip, or crack, was confirmed in one of the eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Topline:
Big Bear’s famous bald eagles — Jackie and Shadow — appear to be welcoming a new chick into the world.
Why now: The first pip, or crack, was spotted in one of the feathered duo’s two eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream of the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Why it matters: More than 26,000 people were watching the livestream shortly shortly after the organization confirmed a pip had been spotted, which signals that an eaglet is starting to poke its way out of the egg shell.
The backstory: As of Friday, the first egg is around 38 days old and the second egg is about 35 days old. Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.
Big Bear’s famous bald eagles — Jackie and Shadow — appear to be welcoming a new chick into the world.
The first pip, or crack, was spotted in one of the feathered duo’s two eggs around 10 a.m. Friday, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs a popular YouTube livestream of the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake.
More than 26,000 people were watching the livestream shortly after the organization confirmed a pip had been spotted, which signals that an eaglet is starting to poke its way out of the egg shell.
“Yesterday afternoon, evening and throughout the night we heard little chirps coming from the chick,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook to more than a million followers. “This indicates that the chick was able to break the internal membrane and took its first breath of air.”
As of Friday, the first egg is around 38 days old and the second egg is about 35 days old. Jackie and Shadow's usual incubation timeline is around 38 to 40 days, according to the nonprofit.
There’s still time for the second egg to show signs of hatching, and a pip could be confirmed in the coming days.
What we know
Jenny Voisard, the organization’s media manager, told LAist earlier this week that hatching is an arduous process for chicks that takes some time.
For example, last season, the first chick hatched more than a day after the initial pip was confirmed, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley records. The second chick hatched about a day after pipping as well, and the third chick worked its way out into the world about two days after the first crack was confirmed.
In March 2025, Jackie and Shadow welcomed two eaglet chicks with one remaining egg in their nest.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Jackie and Shadow's three chicks on March 7, 2025. One of the chicks later died, while Sunny and Gizmo successfully fledged a few months later.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Jackie and Shadow's eaglets during a feeding of fish in April 2025.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Sunny and Gizmo in Big Bear's famous bald eagle nest on Friday, April 18, 2025.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Viewers watched as the surviving eaglets, Sunny and Gizmo, grew from a few ounces to several pounds in a matter of months before fledging, or taking their first flight away from the nest, last June.
But any chicks arriving this season will have to learn how to feed before they can fly.
The initial meals may be a bit awkward while the chicks learn to sit up straight. Jackie and Shadow could start feeding the chicks the same day they hatch, typically tearing off pieces of fish or raw meat and holding it up to their beaks.
Bald eagles don’t regurgitate food for their young, unlike other birds. But the feathered parents do pass along a "substantial amount of saliva” full of electrolytes and antibodies to their chicks during feedings, according to the nonprofit.
Voisard said new life coming to the nest is a reminder “why it’s so important to conserve their lands.”
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Matt Dangelantonio
has always been fascinated by sports teams' jersey and logo designs, and loves a good alternate jersey.
Published April 3, 2026 10:54 AM
Shohei Ohtani wearing the Dodgers new blue road jerseys, which the team debuted Friday, April 3 against the Washington Nationals.
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Scott Taetsch
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The Dodgers debuted a brand new blue road jersey for its game against the Washington Nationals. The new blues will now be part of the team's regular season jersey rotation for away games.
Why it matters: The team says it's a first for the Dodgers, who have traditionally only worn their gray jerseys for away games. The Dodgers now have three road options — two gray jerseys, one that says "Los Angeles" across the front and another that says "Dodgers," along with the new blues.
Dodger Blue.
For the first time in history, the Dodgers will be wearing a blue jersey as part of their regular uniform rotation on the road. pic.twitter.com/ce3EVFVJTd
The backstory: You've probably seen the Dodgers wearing similar blue jerseys during spring training, but up until now they've not been an everyday option for regular season games. It won't be the first time the team wears a blue jersey during the regular season, though. In 2021, the Dodgers debuted blue "City Connect" jerseys, seen below, for that season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wearing the team's 2021 City Connect uniform.
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published April 3, 2026 5:00 AM
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
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Maria Gutierrez
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LAist
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Topline:
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are barred from asking about a child's or family member’s immigration status.
What’s new: California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
The backstory: Lawmakers passed AB 495 last year aimed at helping and protecting families in light of immigration enforcement, including allowing a broader definition of relatives to step in as a caregiver if a parent is detained.
The details: Under the new requirements, childcare centers have to regularly update a child’s emergency contact to make sure someone can be reached in the case of a parent being detained.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.
Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.
“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.
His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.
The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.
Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.
