Cook Political Report Calls it: CA-21 Republican David Valadao defeats Democrat Incumbent TJ Cox

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

It looks like California 21 is another District that has flipped from Blue to Red. Republican David Valadao has defeated first-time incumbent Democrat TJ Cox for the U.S. House of Representatives seat.

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After the latest update from Kern County, Valadao’s lead of 2,644 votes in the race shrank on Friday to 1,618 votes. The number of votes left to count from Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties has dwindled, the lead was enough for Dave Wasserman, U.S. House editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and NBC News contributor to call the race.

Like Young Kim in CA-39, this District was another one stolen by ballot harvesting in 2018. David Valadao was elected in 2012, and had already served three terms. In the 2018 race, the AP had already called the race for Valadao, when late-counted ballots put TJ Cox ahead of him by 862 votes. After two years of Cox, a businessman with a trail of corruption in his wake, voters appear to once again want Valadao to represent them.

AP has not yet called this race, but local publications like the San Joaquin Valley Sun are already making the call:

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“Nov. 20, 2020, 4:21 p.m.: With an update of 11,472 provisional ballots breaking 53.67 percent for Rep. TJ Cox (D–Fresno) and putting an insufficient dent into his deficit, The San Joaquin Valley Sun is projecting that former Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) will reclaim his seat in Congress.

“Current estimates for remaining uncounted ballots in Kern County – the bluest portion of the south Valley district – sit in the 8,000 ballot range, requiring Cox to win more than 80 percent of remaining ballots.”

This will be the 12th House pickup for the Republican Party, and the 3rd California seat to flip back to Red.

 

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