Republicans are attempting to hold on to a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in November, and in key races in California, they are sitting pretty — in terms of cash.
In five of the six competitive House races the GOP is seeking to win in the Golden State, their candidates have more cash on hand than their Democratic opponents, according to Federal Election Commission data.
In California’s 13th Congressional District, Rep. John Duarte (R-CA) had roughly $1.42 million in cash on hand, compared to Democrat Adam Gray’s roughly $393,000, as of the end of 2023.
Two other districts in the state have Republican incumbents holding massive cash on hand advantages over Democratic challengers. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) also holds a significant cash on hand advantage over his Democratic challenger Rudy Salas in the state’s 22nd District, and in the state’s 45th District, Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) holds more than eight times as much cash on hand as her nearest Democratic challenger. Valadao holds $1.44 million, compared to Salas’s roughly $295,000, while Steel has $3.02 million to Democrat Derek Tran’s roughly $364,000 on hand.
In California’s 41st District, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) holds a narrow cash on hand advantage over his top Democratic challenger, Will Rollins. Calvert reported $2.48 million at the end of 2023, compared to Rollins’s $2.23 million on hand at the end of the year.
The only competitive district where a Republican incumbent has reported less cash on hand than his Democratic challenger is in California’s 27th District. In the highly competitive Southern California district, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) reported $1.78 million in cash on hand at the end of 2023, while Democrat George Whitesides reported $2.28 million.
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In the open race to succeed Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), who is running for Senate, Republican Scott Baugh reported $1.73 million on hand at the end of the year, more than any of the Democratic candidates. Democrats Joanna Weiss and Dave Min reported roughly $880,000 and $835,000 on hand at the end of last year, respectively.
Republicans will need wins in these Golden State districts if they hope to keep control of the House in November, which is expected to be a tightly fought battle. Key victories in California, along with New York, helped put the GOP in the majority despite underperforming in various pivotal races across the country in 2022.