The Associated Press on Monday evening retracted its call that Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) held on to his House seat earlier this month in the midterm elections.
“The AP is retracting its call in the race for California's 21st Congressional District,” AP Politics tweeted. “The AP had declared Republican David Valadao the winner. However, Democrat T.J. Cox has taken the lead in the vote count. No new call will be made until the results are certified.”
The AP is retracting its call in the race for California's 21st Congressional District. The AP had declared Republican David Valadao the winner. However, Democrat T.J. Cox has taken the lead in the vote count. No new call will be made until the results are certified.
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 27, 2018
Three weeks after Election Day, California’s 21st Congressional District is the last contested race in the country.
According to The Fresno Bee, Democrat T.J. Cox now has a 438-vote lead after results from Kern County were updated.
Kern County processed about 8,000 uncounted ballots – nearly 1,900 of which were in the 21st – in Monday’s update. A little under 3,000 ballots remain in Kern, where Cox has secured 61 percent of the vote to date.
Cox had closed his losing margin to 447 votes last week. Valadao led by about 5,000 on election night three weeks ago.
The lead is far from set in stone, as Valadao-favoring Kings County and Fresno County – which has broken almost dead even – have thousands of outstanding ballots to be counted in the next few days. (The Fresno Bee)
Cox tweeted the news to his supporters on Monday.
BREAKING: We’ve taken the lead!
— TJ Cox (@TJCoxCongress) November 27, 2018
With today’s updated vote count, we now lead by 438 votes.
There are still many votes to be counted and each voter deserves to have their voice heard. I’m incredibly grateful and humbled by your support. #CA21
If Cox is called as the winner it will be the 40th congressional seat that Democrats flipped.
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