Democrats Flip Another California Congressional Seat

The blue wave continues washing over the U.S. House of Representatives, and much of it's coming from California.

Democrat Katie Porter was declared the winner Thursday in the race in the state's 45th Congressional District, unseating Republican incumbent Mimi Walters, the Los Angeles Times reports. It's the fifth California congressional district that's flipped from Republican to Democratic in the midterms.

Porter is a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, and a protege of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. "As your representative, I will work to bring accountability back to Washington -- to fight to protect our health care, for a clean and safe environment for our communities, and for fair taxation so that everyone pays their fair share," she said after the race was called, according to the Times.

Her district is in Orange County, located between Los Angeles in San Diego; it was once solidly conservative, but that has changed significantly. Democrats have already flipped two other seats there and have gained a lead in one that is undecided.

In the two that had already flipped, Harley Rouda bested longtime incumbent and major homophobe Dana Rohrabacher in the 48th District, and Mike Levin beat Diane Harkey in the 49th District, where incumbent Republican Darrell Issa did not seek reelection. In the 39th District, where the race remains undecided, Democrat Gil Cisneros surged to a 941-vote lead over Republican Young Kim as of Thursday. That seat is currently held by Republican Ed Royce, who is retiring.

Other California congressional districts that have gone from Republican to Democratic are the 25th, in northern Los Angeles County, where bisexual Dem Katie Hill unseated anti-LGBTQ Republican Steve Knight, and the 10th, in the Central Valley, where Josh Harder beat incumbent Jeff Denham.

Other congressional races were recently called in the Democrats' favor in Maine and New Jersey. If they win the remaining races that are outstanding, they will flip a total of 39 seats, NPR reports.