Republicans win first Democrat-held California House seat since 1998

The Republican candidate in the special election Tuesday for the California House seat vacated by ex-Democratic Rep. Katie Hill has won the race with over 56% of the vote.  

The GOP candidate, former Navy combat pilot Mike Garcia, had earlier held a double-digit lead over state Assemblywoman Christy Smith. The race was called by the nonpartisan polling group Political Polls, with Garcia later confirming the results by referring to himself on his Twitter page as the "Congressman-elect for CA-25." 

The suburban Los Angeles seat came up for grabs when Hill resigned in 2019, amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with at least one staffer.

Also on Tuesday, Republican Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin state senator, handily won his special election congressional race in the state's conservative 7th Congressional District. Tiffany defeated Democrat Tricia Zunker in the race for the seat vacated by GOP Rep. Sean Duffy, who retired in September.

Garcia's victory marks the first time since 1998 that California Republicans have won a Democrat-held seat, part of a steady decline for the GOP in California. He will compete again in November for a full, two-year term.

The congressional district includes Simi Valley, home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.