Victory in CA-25: Smith Concedes to Garcia, Leaving Katie Hill's Former Seat Red

Reagan McCarthy | November 30, 2020 8:45 PM

Update: The AP has officially called the race in favor of Garcia:

BREAKING: Republican Mike Garcia wins reelection to U.S. House in California's 25th Congressional District. #APracecall at 12:48 p.m. PST. #Election2020 #CAelection https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) December 1, 2020

Original Post: California Democrat Christy Smith conceded to GOP Congressman Mike Garcia for the second-time on Monday night, after the contentious congressional race’s result became clear. Smith and Garcia previously competed in a special election last spring, to fill the seat vacated by disgraced former Congresswoman Katie Hill, who resigned in light of a sex scandal. Garcia upset Smith to flip the seat from blue-to-red ahead of the general election.

An official call from the Associated Press has not yet been made in California’s 25th congressional district, but Smith told supporters that her path to victory is no longer viable.

Thank you, #TeamChristy. pic.twitter.com/cOjFKRFnbq
— Christy Smith (@ChristyforCA25) December 1, 2020

New: Christy Smith (D) just conceded to Rep. Mike Garcia (R) in #CA25. The House count now stands at 222D-211R with two uncalled races (#IA02 and #NY22). https://t.co/7n9q4gByuh
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) December 1, 2020

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said that Garcia, a Navy fighter pilot, “epitomizes the American dream.”

This victory makes one thing official: no Republican incumbents lost their congressional elections. As congressional election results continue to come in, the GOP keeps defying the odds of pollsters and pundits. Projections insisted that House Democrats would expand their majority, but Republicans managed to flip at least 14 seats. Speaker Pelosi is on track to hold the slimmest majority since World War II.